This is good! I can't wait to see what's next, and I've got some inspiration for how to fix my Dragoon Roost Cavern chapter, too!
Ride the Winds!
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
Time for the next chapter! With this, the sixth arc is officially over. That means there's only one arc left, and only three chapters left, as well. I've got some big plans, so look forward to it! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was fun to write, even if it gave me grief about content division again.
By the time Lana and Aamali reached the top of the staircase, they were both out of breath. It was a long way up, almost winding around the perimeter of the mountain in a full circle. Lana placed her hands on her knees and bent forward, trying to steady her breathing and massage the sore muscles in her legs.
As she did so, an enormous mass caught her attention. She took a couple steps forward, arriving at a grand gate. Beyond that, as she gazed upon what sat atop the mountain summit, her jaw fell open. She craned her neck much like she’d done upon first arriving at Dragon Roost Island.
She finally got to see the island’s namesake, the Great Spirit Valoo. She couldn’t believe her eyes. He was almost certainly what she pictured as a dragon from storybooks. His red scales shimmered in the sunlight brighter than even the King of Red Lions’ coat of paint. Smoke huffed from his nostrils as his forked tongue licked around his lips at the dry air. A pair of great wings seemed to give shade to the altar below his throne. It was a fantastical sight that she wasn’t entirely prepared for.
Valoo was almost as large as the Great Deku Tree, and that was saying something. He looked very intimidating at that size, like all he had to do was sneeze and she’d be blown off the mountaintop. Lana felt herself tremble a bit. Aamali put her hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.
“Relax. Like I told you, he’s just a big dork. He’s not gonna eat you.” she said with a wink.
“Right, sorry... I’m fine now.” Lana said, taking a few more breaths to calm her nerves.
Together, the girls crossed through the gate and stepped over a patterned stone symbol on the ground. Lana recognized it as the same one from the Rito chieftain’s office. Beyond that large circular clearing was the altar, directly in front of Valoo’s throne.
Motioning for Lana to wait in the center, Aamali ascended the altar. She bowed respectfully before Valoo, once again reminding Lana that she was a sacred attendant to the spirit. Valoo had been watching them since their arrival, but now his eyes were fixed on the Rito girl in front of him.
“O Great Valoo, I, Sacred Attendant Aamali, come before you seeking aid. Will you grant an audience with me?” she announced profoundly.
More smoke puffed out of Valoo’s nose, and he spoke. His loud voice caused Lana to reflexively reach to cover her ears. The language he spoke wasn’t hylian. It sounded like the same tongue the Deku Tree spoke when she first met him.
“I am honored that you spare time for me and my guest. Thank you very much for your hospitality.” Aamali said. Then she rose to her feet and beamed up at Valoo. “So, how ya been, ya big goof? You aren’t getting lonely up here with no one to talk to again, are you?”
“Wha...?!” Lana couldn’t believe how much Aamali’s tone had changed.
Valoo didn’t seem to mind at all. It was hard to tell, but he appeared to be smiling, and his eyes looked on Aamali with much kindness. He spoke in that strange tongue some more.
“Good, good. I was worried, since it’s been a while since we’ve been able to come up here.” Aamali answered. “I’m sure you know why that is. That’s why we’ve come here today. Oh, but before we get to that, I want you to meet Lana!”
Aamali flapped her wings as she leapt from the altar, landing right next to Lana. She put her hands on Lana’s shoulders and pushed her forward a bit.
“Uhm... H-hello there.” Lana said, waving up weakly.
Valoo’s eyes settled on Lana, and he appeared to smile wider than before. He spoke again.
“Yep, she’s a human alright! She’s a sweet girl, isn’t she? Offered to help us out and everything.” Aamali said. “She helped me fight through the caverns to get up here, you know! She’s amazing!”
“Hey, don’t gush about me like that...” Lana said, feeling embarrassed.
Valoo appeared to nod, and then said something else.
“See? Valoo agrees with me!” Aamali said, beaming brighter than before.
“Huh? Did he really?” Lana asked.
“Wha? Oh, right. You can’t understand ancient hylian, can you? Sorry about that.” Aamali said.
“Is that the language he’s speaking? The Deku Tree spoke it, too...” Lana said.
- Ancient hylian, huh... I didn’t know about that. I guess these spirits have been around for an awfully long time if they’re still speaking in a dead language.
“Oh? You’ve met another Great Spirit? You really are amazing! I don’t know of anyone else who can say that.” Aamali said.
“Okay, okay, I’m cool, alright? Can we get back on topic now?” Lana said, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Let’s do that.” Aamali said, returning her attention to the dragon spirit. “So, Valoo, you know the wind’s been all messed up around this island lately, right? We’re trying to get to the bottom of that. Do you know the cause? Is there anything you can tell us?”
Valoo nodded sagely, and spoke at great length in ancient hylian. Aamali listened to him intently, nodding all the way through. Her expression seemed grave. Once the explanation was over, she turned back toward Lana.
“Okay. I’m gonna give you the gist of what I just heard.” she said. Lana nodded. “So basically, the reason the winds have gone crazy around this island is all because of the Wind Gods, Zephos and Cyclos.”
“Wind Gods?” Lana asked. “Never heard of them. Are they like Great Spirits?”
“I guess so? If there were a pecking order for deities, they’d probably be a bit higher than the Great Spirits.” she tried to explain. “Zephos and Cyclos govern the winds, basically like overseeing a natural phenomenon. According to Valoo, they had devout worshipers in the old days from the Rito. I’ve only vaguely heard of that before, myself. It’s been a really long time.”
“I see... If the winds are going crazy, then are they angry or something?” Lana asked.
“Pretty much. Valoo says they’re mad that our people have forgotten all about them. There used to be an altar dedicated to them in Fire Mountain south of here, where there’d be yearly pilgrimages to and from. But ever since the mountain got swallowed up by lava, they’ve been neglected. It’s been hundreds of years since the last time they were paid any respects, apparently.”
“Oh, wow... That must be hard on them.” Lana said, her hand on her chin. She recalled her own visit to Fire Mountain and the abandoned altar she’d seen there, and put two and two together.
“Hard enough that they’re giving us grief over it...” Aamali said. “It’s not like it's our fault we can’t go to Fire Mountain anymore.”
“Maybe they’re mad that a new altar wasn’t put up for them?” Lana said.
Valoo nodded, confirming this.
“Ah, yeah, I guess our ancestors technically could have done that... But this is still a serious load. Those winds are too dangerous! Someone’s seriously gonna die because of it. We almost did earlier.” Aamali said.
“Yeah, we can’t exactly let this continue.” Lana agreed. “So how can we get them to calm down? Do we build them a new altar here on this island?”
Valoo spoke in ancient hylian some more.
“He says that might not be enough on its own. Could be a while before that sinks in. He said it’ll be faster to come to an agreement with them.” Aamali said. “But, uh... How exactly do we have a conversation with the Wind Gods?”
Valoo then quietly gazed at Lana. She found herself being drawn in by his eyes. He studied her closely for a few moments, and in time, he appeared satisfied with what he saw. He continued to speak.
“What?! Are you serious?” Aamali gasped.
“Huh? What did he say?” Lana asked, feeling unnerved by Aamali’s reaction.
“He said you actually are a Wind Waker, Lana!” Aamali explained. “He also said you possess just the tool we need to call upon the Wind Gods! The baton on your waist. Wait, has that always been there?”
“Oh, no, I just got it this morning...” Lana said. “So... I really am a Wind Waker?”
Valoo nodded at her. His eyes looked on her with a sincere expression devoid of any doubt. Aamali became more bubbly than ever before, excited to know they could make progress on solving the wind problem. Lana, however, was speechless. The King of Red Lions had told her she could be a Wind Waker, but hearing it confirmed like this really made it sink in.
- So all these years, my sense for the wind really has been some special gift? Am I a special person, after all? Is that why I’ve been able to overcome everything in my path all this time? I dunno...
It was a strange feeling. She’d always looked at herself as a simple fisherman turned voyager. She never imagined to have any special talents or abilities. Part of her wanted to deny it, to try and remain humble and convince herself that she was just an ordinary girl, but could she honestly say she’d never done anything amazing?
She’d already done plenty of things beyond what she’d though herself capable of on this journey. Why should this be any different? She had the power to assist the Rito and speak to the Wind Gods, so she decided she was going to do it.
- Questioning myself isn’t useful to Aamali and her people. I need to do whatever I can, just like I always do.
“Alright. Tell me what I have to do.” Lana said, gazing up at Valoo with newfound determination.
Valoo seemed pleased to see that fire in her eyes. He explained, again in ancient hylian.
“He says that only a Wind Waker like yourself can use that baton. If you use it to direct the wind flow, it’ll alert the Wind Gods that someone besides them is controlling their winds. They’ll come to investigate.” Aamali translated.
“I see. So I just... wave it around?” she asked, unsure of how to actually use the Wind Waker.
Valoo nodded, and so Lana removed the baton from her belt. She began to feel a little excited. If everything went according to plan, she was about to meet a pair of actual Gods. She knew she should be cautions, since those Gods were currently angry, but she couldn’t help herself. Perhaps Aamali’s attitude had rubbed off on her a bit.
Holding the baton in her right hand, she raised it out in front of herself. She didn’t know how to conduct, so she just moved on instinct. She focused on the wind she could feel blowing around her body, pricking at her skin and playing with her hair. Her fingers squeezed the Wind Waker tightly, and she felt an energy begin to flow from it into her chest.
Lana moved the baton in a wide sweep, toward the west. As she did, a gust of wind kicked up around her, and the entire direction of the breeze changed to follow where she had motioned to.
“Whoa! It really worked...” she breathed.
She could hardly believe what she’d just done. She did it a few more times to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. Each time she gently moved the Wind Waker around, the breeze changed to follow her lead. She truly was in command of the wind with that baton in her hands. It was such a strange feeling.
- All my life, I’ve felt a connection to the wind... To be controlling it like this, I feel closer to it than ever before, like I really understand it... This is amazing!
A wide smile spread across her lips. She was incredibly excited and giddy. How could she not be? She had a natural phenomenon under her whims. That kind of power was... well, unnatural. There was no other way to put it. She knew she’d have to return the Wind Waker to the King of Red Lions after this, so she wanted to relish this experience while she could.
The moment didn’t last long. All at once, the winds abruptly stopped and the atmosphere seemed to grow heavy and still. Valoo tensed up, and Aamali stopped dancing around. Lana could feel that something was approaching.
“WHO DARES TO MEDDLE WITH OUR WINDS?”
As soon as that booming voice hit their ears, a vicious cyclone erupted around the mountaintop, closing in Valoo and the two girls. The winds were so intense, Lana could barely hear Aamali shouting her name. She wanted to draw her sword, but it was difficult to move around like she wanted to.
Two large shadows appeared over their heads, blocking some of the sunlight. Lana and Aamali looked up to find two large creatures sitting atop fluffy clouds looking down upon them. One was green with blue circles on its skin, and the other was red with purple swirls. They both had long antennae sticking out from their heads, as well as beady eyes and large bellies.
The cyclone slowed enough that it was no longer filling their ears with noise, but it didn't recede at all. Valoo gazed up at them with a troubled expression. The creatures were much smaller than he was, but they were still many times larger than Lana.
The red one’s eyes fixed onto Lana, and he seemed to recognize that she held the Wind Waker in her hands. His gaze turned into a glare.
“A MORTAL SEEKS TO COMMAND THE TITLE OF WIND WAKER? SUCH ARROGANCE!” he bellowed.
“Brother, lower your voice. Your volume alone could end them before we even hear them out.” the green one said.
“WHAT NEED HAVE WE TO HEAR THEIR USELESS WORDS? THEY ARE MANY CENTURIES TOO LATE IF THEY WISH TO SPEAK WITH US!”
“How long are you going to talk like that? It’s getting on my nerves.” the green one said, frowning.
“... Zephos, please, I’m trying to show the mortals that they ought not take us lightly. We are Gods, after all.” the red one said, sounding put off.
“Gods we may be, but I think the swirling vortex of winds enclosing them in this space has done the trick just fine. You just sound like a goofball when you try to talk fancy, Cyclos.” the green one chuckled.
- These are the Wind Gods? They're, um... Not quite what I was expecting.
“Excuse me! Hey! Up there!” Aamali called out to them, waving cheerfully and putting Lana into panic mode at the same time.
“Hm? The Rito girl has some backbone to call out to us. I like it.” the green one, Zephos, said.
“I do not! What makes her think she can speak to us in such a way after her people neglected us for so long?” the red one, Cyclos, huffed indignantly.
“Yeah, uh, sorry about that! I can’t really comment on what my ancestors did, but surely we can work this out as the new generation of Rito, right?” Aamali said.
“Humph. I have nothing to say to you. I am not happy, you understand? You must be made to realize the severity of neglecting the Gods who control the wind your folk relies on so heavily!” Cyclos said.
“On the other hand, I don’t mind a chat. It’s been quite a while since I’ve spoken to a mortal. That young Wind Waker girl over there has piqued my interest.” Zephos said.
“Wh-who, me?” Lana said, feeling a bit jumpy.
“The way you conducted the wind just now? Was like you were speaking to an old friend. Full of respect and love. Made my heart tingle a little when I felt it. I think I like you.” Zephos said.
“Brother, please do not spout such foolishness! These mortals have no respect for us or our wind! That is why we’ve become so neglected!” Cyclos insisted.
Valoo spoke up at last, speaking to the Gods with an honesty that even Lana could sense through her language barrier. However, it didn’t seem to do much good.
“You stay out of this, Valoo! You Great Spirits are worshipped on a daily basis! You don’t understand what it’s like to be neglected for centuries!” Cyclos yelled.
“Brother, please, you sound like a toddler throwing a tantrum.” Zephos said.
Something struck Lana as odd about the way Zephos spoke. She gathered up her courage and decided to ask him a question.
“Zephos, was it?” she said. “It doesn’t sound like you’re on the same page with your brother about all this.”
“Oh? Quite a sharp one, you are. Yes, Cyclos and I have argued at length about this.” Zephos said.
“And the answer is still no! You can’t make me change my mind, Brother, and neither can you mortals!” Cyclos interjected.
“He’s the one who’s been intensifying the winds around this island, not me. I told him such a roundabout method wouldn’t work, but when he gets like this, there’s no speaking with him.” Zephos said with a sigh.
“Zephos, do not make me sound like some immature child! The mortals take advantage of our gifts constantly! They must be taught a lesson!” Cyclos said.
“What’s the point of a lesson if it can’t get through to its subjects?” Zephos said.
“Argh! I am not going through this with you again! How can you not understand?” Cyclos said angrily.
“So, the bottom line is...” Aamali began. “You don’t want to be neglected anymore, right? I’m the daughter of the chieftain. There’s no way I can’t convince my father to construct new monuments in your honor. In fact, I’m sure he’d be happy to do just that if it helps calm the winds around here!”
“You see? That is exactly my point! You only care because it affects you! You would not pay respects to us otherwise!” Cyclos said.
Aamali didn’t appear to have a response for that. Her expression darkened, as though she realized he was right.
“Every last one of you mortals is only motivated by selfish desires! I cannot abide this any longer! I am going to teach a painful lesson that will surely make your people understand! And YOU will be my example, daughter of the chieftain!” Cyclos shouted.
In time with his words, the cyclone keeping them entrapped on the summit began whirling around more violently. The gales began slicing through the air above their heads. Valoo’s expression turned deadly serious, and he began bellowing flames at Cyclos.
“Do not try and stop me, Valoo! You cannot protect this girl! She is your attendant, yes? Then I will use her as a sacrifice and send her hurtling down the mountainside!” Cyclos announced.
“You’re gonna what?!” Aamali said, starting to panic.
- No. No way. I won’t let you.
Those words were the only thing going through Lana’s head as she took action. She swung her right hand, still clutching the Wind Waker, as hard as she could upwards. Almost instantly, a fierce updraft kicked around into the air, crashing into Cyclos’s winds and disrupting his storm. This caught the angry God by surprise.
Lana quickly tucked the baton back on her belt and grabbed the edges of her deku leaf. Using the wind she’d just created to her advantage, she took off into the sky, quickly rising to the same level as the Wind Gods in the air.
“I’m not letting you sacrifice Aamali! You need to cool your head, Cyclos!” Lana yelled.
“Oh... This is quite something.” Zephos said, seemingly amused.
Cyclos was not as entertained as his brother. In fact, he was shaking with anger now. “YOU DARE ENTER MY DOMAIN, MORTAL? THEN PERHAPS I SHALL START WITH YOU!”
Lana didn’t falter. She knew that if she did, Aamali would die. She braced herself as the winds became more violent than ever. She strengthened her grip on her deku leaf as the air currents bucked her back and forth. It was obvious that Cyclos intended to knock her from the sky using the force of his winds.
Fortunately for Lana, she was in her element. She knew now that it was because she was a Wind Waker, but she could sense it every time Cyclos made the winds shift. Lana braced for it in the proper direction each time, so instead of being caught against the current, she was pulled along with it.
It was dangerously tricky for her to keep that up for long. Swinging her legs around was starting to tire her out, and the force of the gales was weakening the strength in her arms. She had to do something, and fast. Cyclos was getting impatient and began calling upon even fiercer winds to do her in.
And so, Lana’s mind flashed with a plan. It would be her death if she failed, but she had the confidence that she could pull it off. She knew the winds like the back of her hand, and she kept a very accurate track of the air currents Cyclos was manipulating. It might have been a little blasphemous, but it was the only thing she could do.
When the winds moved in just the way she was waiting for, Lana let go of her deku leaf shawl. She flipped around in the air, finding herself upside down. That deadly predicament was just what she needed to kick-start a temporal rush. Her senses sharpened as her heart was constricted tightly. Time slowed before her eyes, and she reached for her bow.
In that instant, her eyes fixated on her target. She swiftly nocked a regular arrow, pulled back, and aimed at the airspace around her. She knew aiming directly at Cyclos was doomed to fail. It was impossible for an arrow to fly straight through the messy air currents. However, it was entirely possible for it to follow them.
As soon as that arrow was loosed, her bow was back in its place. However, her temporal rush didn’t stop there. Before her heart couldn’t take the pressure any further, she quickly pulled out the Wind Waker and gave her arrow a supportive push, clearing away some of the chaotic gusts in the process.
It all happened so fast that by the time Lana was clutching her deku leaf again, Aamali and the others had only just noticed she’d let go at all. Sure enough, her arrow flew true and caught Cyclos right between his eyes.
“WAAAAAAUGH!” he cried.
“My!” Zephos gasped.
The winds quickly petered off after that. Cyclos leaned back on his cloud, clutching his forehead and moaning. Lana was gasping for breath and was suffering a terrible headache; the consequences of an extended temporal rush. She clumsily floated down, and to her surprise, she landed in Aamali’s arms.
“Lana! Geez! You need to stop scaring the hell out of me like that! Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m a little dizzy, but I’ll be fine. More importantly, we need to get you someplace safe before Cyclos can move again.” she said.
“Gosh! Can you seriously think of yourself right now? That was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen! How the heck are you not dead?!” Aamali continued to fuss.
“Don’t worry, young lady. Just watch.” Zephos said, scratching his chin.
Valoo nodded in encouragement, though his guard was still up. Aamali helped Lana to her feet, and the girls anxiously looked up at Cyclos. He had gone completely silent and still. For quite a few minutes, that was how he remained.
“... Young Wind Waker.” he said after a long silence. “What was your name again?”
Lana urged Aamali to let her stand on her own before she answered. She cleared her throat, gazed up at the Wind God, and announced her name.
“I am Lana, a voyager from Greatfish Island. I am indeed a Wind Waker, but before that I am me.”
“... I see. You are yourself above all else, you say.” Cyclos said.
At last, he removed his hands from his head. There didn’t appear to be a wound, but strangely, his expression was peaceful.
“There is no way you could have made that shot without trusting the wind to guide it.” he continued. “I am completely surprised that a mortal has put so much faith in the wind. I believe I stand corrected. When my brother said you had great respect and love for our winds, he was not mistaken.”
“Thank you for saying so.” Lana said. “I apologize for firing at you. But I will do it again if you continue to threaten Aamali’s life.” she said firmly.
“The passion in your words is clear to me. You seem different from most mortals I’ve interacted with. Granted, I haven’t spoken with them as often as my Brother has... Perhaps I’ve grown ignorant.”
Cyclos spoke with great humility. This inspired Aamali to do the same. “I must apologize to you, Cyclos. I said something insensitive. Your words did resonate with me, though. I promise to try and lead my people down a more harmonious path with your gifts. What do you say? WIll you work with me on this?” she pleaded.
“Mortals aren’t as wholly selfish as you thought, Cyclos. They are endlessly surprising. That’s why I can’t not like them as much as I do.” Zephos said. “Well? I’ve of mind to agree with the Rito girl on this, but what of you?”
Valoo pitched in his own urging, as well. At least, that was how it sounded to Lana. Aamali waited for a response with bated breath. Lana feared she might have to fight again so she kept her guard up until the resolution came.
At last, Cyclos began to smile. “Very well. I shall give your people another chance. If you will agree to construct monuments and pay us respects for our gifts once more, then I suppose I will have no further room to complain. I shall make the winds around Dragon Roost Island peaceful once more.”
Relief knocked Lana off her feet. Aamali fell to her knees and thanked the Wind Gods from the bottom of her heart. She couldn’t stop tears from flowing out. The stress of having her life on the line might have been a lot for her to bear.
Valoo grinned widely, and spoke to Zephos and Cyclos some more.
“Yes, they are quite interesting.” Cyclos agreed with him.
“Interesting and special. I believe I shall keep an eye on that one in particular...” Zephos said, scratching his chin again while eyeing Lana.
The girls gathered themselves together and gave the Wind Gods deep bows of respect. Together, the brothers floated back into the sky above, until they were out of sight. And just like that, Lana could sense an instant change in the winds around the island. She didn’t know what they were usually like, but she was certain they were back to normal.
- Finally, the job is done. Now the Rito can get back to life as usual.
Lana found herself feeling prideful of her contribution to this result. Aamali was already shaking her hands vigorously and thanking her through her tears. She felt incredibly good about being able to help them. She was glad to have kept her promise.
And then that nagging feeling got caught in her throat again. Her promise. The whole reason she did this in the first place. It wasn’t just to help the Rito, it was so she could continue her journey. She had nearly forgotten once again.
Before she had the chance to mull it over some more, Aamali was tugging her along. With the winds back to normal, they could descend the mountain through the air without having to go back through Dragon Roost Cavern. That was certainly a relief, but Lana just couldn’t feel it.
As Aamali waved goodbye to Valoo, Lana’s mind wasn’t with them. She found her head spinning with an aching doubt. Was she just getting swept up in the moment? Why did she keep forgetting what all of this was for?
- Just what is wrong with me?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker
By the time Lana and Aamali reached the top of the staircase, they were both out of breath. It was a long way up, almost winding around the perimeter of the mountain in a full circle. Lana placed her hands on her knees and bent forward, trying to steady her breathing and massage the sore muscles in her legs.
As she did so, an enormous mass caught her attention. She took a couple steps forward, arriving at a grand gate. Beyond that, as she gazed upon what sat atop the mountain summit, her jaw fell open. She craned her neck much like she’d done upon first arriving at Dragon Roost Island.
She finally got to see the island’s namesake, the Great Spirit Valoo. She couldn’t believe her eyes. He was almost certainly what she pictured as a dragon from storybooks. His red scales shimmered in the sunlight brighter than even the King of Red Lions’ coat of paint. Smoke huffed from his nostrils as his forked tongue licked around his lips at the dry air. A pair of great wings seemed to give shade to the altar below his throne. It was a fantastical sight that she wasn’t entirely prepared for.
Valoo was almost as large as the Great Deku Tree, and that was saying something. He looked very intimidating at that size, like all he had to do was sneeze and she’d be blown off the mountaintop. Lana felt herself tremble a bit. Aamali put her hand on her shoulder, and she jumped.
“Relax. Like I told you, he’s just a big dork. He’s not gonna eat you.” she said with a wink.
“Right, sorry... I’m fine now.” Lana said, taking a few more breaths to calm her nerves.
Together, the girls crossed through the gate and stepped over a patterned stone symbol on the ground. Lana recognized it as the same one from the Rito chieftain’s office. Beyond that large circular clearing was the altar, directly in front of Valoo’s throne.
Motioning for Lana to wait in the center, Aamali ascended the altar. She bowed respectfully before Valoo, once again reminding Lana that she was a sacred attendant to the spirit. Valoo had been watching them since their arrival, but now his eyes were fixed on the Rito girl in front of him.
“O Great Valoo, I, Sacred Attendant Aamali, come before you seeking aid. Will you grant an audience with me?” she announced profoundly.
More smoke puffed out of Valoo’s nose, and he spoke. His loud voice caused Lana to reflexively reach to cover her ears. The language he spoke wasn’t hylian. It sounded like the same tongue the Deku Tree spoke when she first met him.
“I am honored that you spare time for me and my guest. Thank you very much for your hospitality.” Aamali said. Then she rose to her feet and beamed up at Valoo. “So, how ya been, ya big goof? You aren’t getting lonely up here with no one to talk to again, are you?”
“Wha...?!” Lana couldn’t believe how much Aamali’s tone had changed.
Valoo didn’t seem to mind at all. It was hard to tell, but he appeared to be smiling, and his eyes looked on Aamali with much kindness. He spoke in that strange tongue some more.
“Good, good. I was worried, since it’s been a while since we’ve been able to come up here.” Aamali answered. “I’m sure you know why that is. That’s why we’ve come here today. Oh, but before we get to that, I want you to meet Lana!”
Aamali flapped her wings as she leapt from the altar, landing right next to Lana. She put her hands on Lana’s shoulders and pushed her forward a bit.
“Uhm... H-hello there.” Lana said, waving up weakly.
Valoo’s eyes settled on Lana, and he appeared to smile wider than before. He spoke again.
“Yep, she’s a human alright! She’s a sweet girl, isn’t she? Offered to help us out and everything.” Aamali said. “She helped me fight through the caverns to get up here, you know! She’s amazing!”
“Hey, don’t gush about me like that...” Lana said, feeling embarrassed.
Valoo appeared to nod, and then said something else.
“See? Valoo agrees with me!” Aamali said, beaming brighter than before.
“Huh? Did he really?” Lana asked.
“Wha? Oh, right. You can’t understand ancient hylian, can you? Sorry about that.” Aamali said.
“Is that the language he’s speaking? The Deku Tree spoke it, too...” Lana said.
- Ancient hylian, huh... I didn’t know about that. I guess these spirits have been around for an awfully long time if they’re still speaking in a dead language.
“Oh? You’ve met another Great Spirit? You really are amazing! I don’t know of anyone else who can say that.” Aamali said.
“Okay, okay, I’m cool, alright? Can we get back on topic now?” Lana said, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Let’s do that.” Aamali said, returning her attention to the dragon spirit. “So, Valoo, you know the wind’s been all messed up around this island lately, right? We’re trying to get to the bottom of that. Do you know the cause? Is there anything you can tell us?”
Valoo nodded sagely, and spoke at great length in ancient hylian. Aamali listened to him intently, nodding all the way through. Her expression seemed grave. Once the explanation was over, she turned back toward Lana.
“Okay. I’m gonna give you the gist of what I just heard.” she said. Lana nodded. “So basically, the reason the winds have gone crazy around this island is all because of the Wind Gods, Zephos and Cyclos.”
“Wind Gods?” Lana asked. “Never heard of them. Are they like Great Spirits?”
“I guess so? If there were a pecking order for deities, they’d probably be a bit higher than the Great Spirits.” she tried to explain. “Zephos and Cyclos govern the winds, basically like overseeing a natural phenomenon. According to Valoo, they had devout worshipers in the old days from the Rito. I’ve only vaguely heard of that before, myself. It’s been a really long time.”
“I see... If the winds are going crazy, then are they angry or something?” Lana asked.
“Pretty much. Valoo says they’re mad that our people have forgotten all about them. There used to be an altar dedicated to them in Fire Mountain south of here, where there’d be yearly pilgrimages to and from. But ever since the mountain got swallowed up by lava, they’ve been neglected. It’s been hundreds of years since the last time they were paid any respects, apparently.”
“Oh, wow... That must be hard on them.” Lana said, her hand on her chin. She recalled her own visit to Fire Mountain and the abandoned altar she’d seen there, and put two and two together.
“Hard enough that they’re giving us grief over it...” Aamali said. “It’s not like it's our fault we can’t go to Fire Mountain anymore.”
“Maybe they’re mad that a new altar wasn’t put up for them?” Lana said.
Valoo nodded, confirming this.
“Ah, yeah, I guess our ancestors technically could have done that... But this is still a serious load. Those winds are too dangerous! Someone’s seriously gonna die because of it. We almost did earlier.” Aamali said.
“Yeah, we can’t exactly let this continue.” Lana agreed. “So how can we get them to calm down? Do we build them a new altar here on this island?”
Valoo spoke in ancient hylian some more.
“He says that might not be enough on its own. Could be a while before that sinks in. He said it’ll be faster to come to an agreement with them.” Aamali said. “But, uh... How exactly do we have a conversation with the Wind Gods?”
Valoo then quietly gazed at Lana. She found herself being drawn in by his eyes. He studied her closely for a few moments, and in time, he appeared satisfied with what he saw. He continued to speak.
“What?! Are you serious?” Aamali gasped.
“Huh? What did he say?” Lana asked, feeling unnerved by Aamali’s reaction.
“He said you actually are a Wind Waker, Lana!” Aamali explained. “He also said you possess just the tool we need to call upon the Wind Gods! The baton on your waist. Wait, has that always been there?”
“Oh, no, I just got it this morning...” Lana said. “So... I really am a Wind Waker?”
Valoo nodded at her. His eyes looked on her with a sincere expression devoid of any doubt. Aamali became more bubbly than ever before, excited to know they could make progress on solving the wind problem. Lana, however, was speechless. The King of Red Lions had told her she could be a Wind Waker, but hearing it confirmed like this really made it sink in.
- So all these years, my sense for the wind really has been some special gift? Am I a special person, after all? Is that why I’ve been able to overcome everything in my path all this time? I dunno...
It was a strange feeling. She’d always looked at herself as a simple fisherman turned voyager. She never imagined to have any special talents or abilities. Part of her wanted to deny it, to try and remain humble and convince herself that she was just an ordinary girl, but could she honestly say she’d never done anything amazing?
She’d already done plenty of things beyond what she’d though herself capable of on this journey. Why should this be any different? She had the power to assist the Rito and speak to the Wind Gods, so she decided she was going to do it.
- Questioning myself isn’t useful to Aamali and her people. I need to do whatever I can, just like I always do.
“Alright. Tell me what I have to do.” Lana said, gazing up at Valoo with newfound determination.
Valoo seemed pleased to see that fire in her eyes. He explained, again in ancient hylian.
“He says that only a Wind Waker like yourself can use that baton. If you use it to direct the wind flow, it’ll alert the Wind Gods that someone besides them is controlling their winds. They’ll come to investigate.” Aamali translated.
“I see. So I just... wave it around?” she asked, unsure of how to actually use the Wind Waker.
Valoo nodded, and so Lana removed the baton from her belt. She began to feel a little excited. If everything went according to plan, she was about to meet a pair of actual Gods. She knew she should be cautions, since those Gods were currently angry, but she couldn’t help herself. Perhaps Aamali’s attitude had rubbed off on her a bit.
Holding the baton in her right hand, she raised it out in front of herself. She didn’t know how to conduct, so she just moved on instinct. She focused on the wind she could feel blowing around her body, pricking at her skin and playing with her hair. Her fingers squeezed the Wind Waker tightly, and she felt an energy begin to flow from it into her chest.
Lana moved the baton in a wide sweep, toward the west. As she did, a gust of wind kicked up around her, and the entire direction of the breeze changed to follow where she had motioned to.
“Whoa! It really worked...” she breathed.
She could hardly believe what she’d just done. She did it a few more times to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. Each time she gently moved the Wind Waker around, the breeze changed to follow her lead. She truly was in command of the wind with that baton in her hands. It was such a strange feeling.
- All my life, I’ve felt a connection to the wind... To be controlling it like this, I feel closer to it than ever before, like I really understand it... This is amazing!
A wide smile spread across her lips. She was incredibly excited and giddy. How could she not be? She had a natural phenomenon under her whims. That kind of power was... well, unnatural. There was no other way to put it. She knew she’d have to return the Wind Waker to the King of Red Lions after this, so she wanted to relish this experience while she could.
The moment didn’t last long. All at once, the winds abruptly stopped and the atmosphere seemed to grow heavy and still. Valoo tensed up, and Aamali stopped dancing around. Lana could feel that something was approaching.
“WHO DARES TO MEDDLE WITH OUR WINDS?”
As soon as that booming voice hit their ears, a vicious cyclone erupted around the mountaintop, closing in Valoo and the two girls. The winds were so intense, Lana could barely hear Aamali shouting her name. She wanted to draw her sword, but it was difficult to move around like she wanted to.
Two large shadows appeared over their heads, blocking some of the sunlight. Lana and Aamali looked up to find two large creatures sitting atop fluffy clouds looking down upon them. One was green with blue circles on its skin, and the other was red with purple swirls. They both had long antennae sticking out from their heads, as well as beady eyes and large bellies.
The cyclone slowed enough that it was no longer filling their ears with noise, but it didn't recede at all. Valoo gazed up at them with a troubled expression. The creatures were much smaller than he was, but they were still many times larger than Lana.
The red one’s eyes fixed onto Lana, and he seemed to recognize that she held the Wind Waker in her hands. His gaze turned into a glare.
“A MORTAL SEEKS TO COMMAND THE TITLE OF WIND WAKER? SUCH ARROGANCE!” he bellowed.
“Brother, lower your voice. Your volume alone could end them before we even hear them out.” the green one said.
“WHAT NEED HAVE WE TO HEAR THEIR USELESS WORDS? THEY ARE MANY CENTURIES TOO LATE IF THEY WISH TO SPEAK WITH US!”
“How long are you going to talk like that? It’s getting on my nerves.” the green one said, frowning.
“... Zephos, please, I’m trying to show the mortals that they ought not take us lightly. We are Gods, after all.” the red one said, sounding put off.
“Gods we may be, but I think the swirling vortex of winds enclosing them in this space has done the trick just fine. You just sound like a goofball when you try to talk fancy, Cyclos.” the green one chuckled.
- These are the Wind Gods? They're, um... Not quite what I was expecting.
“Excuse me! Hey! Up there!” Aamali called out to them, waving cheerfully and putting Lana into panic mode at the same time.
“Hm? The Rito girl has some backbone to call out to us. I like it.” the green one, Zephos, said.
“I do not! What makes her think she can speak to us in such a way after her people neglected us for so long?” the red one, Cyclos, huffed indignantly.
“Yeah, uh, sorry about that! I can’t really comment on what my ancestors did, but surely we can work this out as the new generation of Rito, right?” Aamali said.
“Humph. I have nothing to say to you. I am not happy, you understand? You must be made to realize the severity of neglecting the Gods who control the wind your folk relies on so heavily!” Cyclos said.
“On the other hand, I don’t mind a chat. It’s been quite a while since I’ve spoken to a mortal. That young Wind Waker girl over there has piqued my interest.” Zephos said.
“Wh-who, me?” Lana said, feeling a bit jumpy.
“The way you conducted the wind just now? Was like you were speaking to an old friend. Full of respect and love. Made my heart tingle a little when I felt it. I think I like you.” Zephos said.
“Brother, please do not spout such foolishness! These mortals have no respect for us or our wind! That is why we’ve become so neglected!” Cyclos insisted.
Valoo spoke up at last, speaking to the Gods with an honesty that even Lana could sense through her language barrier. However, it didn’t seem to do much good.
“You stay out of this, Valoo! You Great Spirits are worshipped on a daily basis! You don’t understand what it’s like to be neglected for centuries!” Cyclos yelled.
“Brother, please, you sound like a toddler throwing a tantrum.” Zephos said.
Something struck Lana as odd about the way Zephos spoke. She gathered up her courage and decided to ask him a question.
“Zephos, was it?” she said. “It doesn’t sound like you’re on the same page with your brother about all this.”
“Oh? Quite a sharp one, you are. Yes, Cyclos and I have argued at length about this.” Zephos said.
“And the answer is still no! You can’t make me change my mind, Brother, and neither can you mortals!” Cyclos interjected.
“He’s the one who’s been intensifying the winds around this island, not me. I told him such a roundabout method wouldn’t work, but when he gets like this, there’s no speaking with him.” Zephos said with a sigh.
“Zephos, do not make me sound like some immature child! The mortals take advantage of our gifts constantly! They must be taught a lesson!” Cyclos said.
“What’s the point of a lesson if it can’t get through to its subjects?” Zephos said.
“Argh! I am not going through this with you again! How can you not understand?” Cyclos said angrily.
“So, the bottom line is...” Aamali began. “You don’t want to be neglected anymore, right? I’m the daughter of the chieftain. There’s no way I can’t convince my father to construct new monuments in your honor. In fact, I’m sure he’d be happy to do just that if it helps calm the winds around here!”
“You see? That is exactly my point! You only care because it affects you! You would not pay respects to us otherwise!” Cyclos said.
Aamali didn’t appear to have a response for that. Her expression darkened, as though she realized he was right.
“Every last one of you mortals is only motivated by selfish desires! I cannot abide this any longer! I am going to teach a painful lesson that will surely make your people understand! And YOU will be my example, daughter of the chieftain!” Cyclos shouted.
In time with his words, the cyclone keeping them entrapped on the summit began whirling around more violently. The gales began slicing through the air above their heads. Valoo’s expression turned deadly serious, and he began bellowing flames at Cyclos.
“Do not try and stop me, Valoo! You cannot protect this girl! She is your attendant, yes? Then I will use her as a sacrifice and send her hurtling down the mountainside!” Cyclos announced.
“You’re gonna what?!” Aamali said, starting to panic.
- No. No way. I won’t let you.
Those words were the only thing going through Lana’s head as she took action. She swung her right hand, still clutching the Wind Waker, as hard as she could upwards. Almost instantly, a fierce updraft kicked around into the air, crashing into Cyclos’s winds and disrupting his storm. This caught the angry God by surprise.
Lana quickly tucked the baton back on her belt and grabbed the edges of her deku leaf. Using the wind she’d just created to her advantage, she took off into the sky, quickly rising to the same level as the Wind Gods in the air.
“I’m not letting you sacrifice Aamali! You need to cool your head, Cyclos!” Lana yelled.
“Oh... This is quite something.” Zephos said, seemingly amused.
Cyclos was not as entertained as his brother. In fact, he was shaking with anger now. “YOU DARE ENTER MY DOMAIN, MORTAL? THEN PERHAPS I SHALL START WITH YOU!”
Lana didn’t falter. She knew that if she did, Aamali would die. She braced herself as the winds became more violent than ever. She strengthened her grip on her deku leaf as the air currents bucked her back and forth. It was obvious that Cyclos intended to knock her from the sky using the force of his winds.
Fortunately for Lana, she was in her element. She knew now that it was because she was a Wind Waker, but she could sense it every time Cyclos made the winds shift. Lana braced for it in the proper direction each time, so instead of being caught against the current, she was pulled along with it.
It was dangerously tricky for her to keep that up for long. Swinging her legs around was starting to tire her out, and the force of the gales was weakening the strength in her arms. She had to do something, and fast. Cyclos was getting impatient and began calling upon even fiercer winds to do her in.
And so, Lana’s mind flashed with a plan. It would be her death if she failed, but she had the confidence that she could pull it off. She knew the winds like the back of her hand, and she kept a very accurate track of the air currents Cyclos was manipulating. It might have been a little blasphemous, but it was the only thing she could do.
When the winds moved in just the way she was waiting for, Lana let go of her deku leaf shawl. She flipped around in the air, finding herself upside down. That deadly predicament was just what she needed to kick-start a temporal rush. Her senses sharpened as her heart was constricted tightly. Time slowed before her eyes, and she reached for her bow.
In that instant, her eyes fixated on her target. She swiftly nocked a regular arrow, pulled back, and aimed at the airspace around her. She knew aiming directly at Cyclos was doomed to fail. It was impossible for an arrow to fly straight through the messy air currents. However, it was entirely possible for it to follow them.
As soon as that arrow was loosed, her bow was back in its place. However, her temporal rush didn’t stop there. Before her heart couldn’t take the pressure any further, she quickly pulled out the Wind Waker and gave her arrow a supportive push, clearing away some of the chaotic gusts in the process.
It all happened so fast that by the time Lana was clutching her deku leaf again, Aamali and the others had only just noticed she’d let go at all. Sure enough, her arrow flew true and caught Cyclos right between his eyes.
“WAAAAAAUGH!” he cried.
“My!” Zephos gasped.
The winds quickly petered off after that. Cyclos leaned back on his cloud, clutching his forehead and moaning. Lana was gasping for breath and was suffering a terrible headache; the consequences of an extended temporal rush. She clumsily floated down, and to her surprise, she landed in Aamali’s arms.
“Lana! Geez! You need to stop scaring the hell out of me like that! Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m a little dizzy, but I’ll be fine. More importantly, we need to get you someplace safe before Cyclos can move again.” she said.
“Gosh! Can you seriously think of yourself right now? That was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen! How the heck are you not dead?!” Aamali continued to fuss.
“Don’t worry, young lady. Just watch.” Zephos said, scratching his chin.
Valoo nodded in encouragement, though his guard was still up. Aamali helped Lana to her feet, and the girls anxiously looked up at Cyclos. He had gone completely silent and still. For quite a few minutes, that was how he remained.
“... Young Wind Waker.” he said after a long silence. “What was your name again?”
Lana urged Aamali to let her stand on her own before she answered. She cleared her throat, gazed up at the Wind God, and announced her name.
“I am Lana, a voyager from Greatfish Island. I am indeed a Wind Waker, but before that I am me.”
“... I see. You are yourself above all else, you say.” Cyclos said.
At last, he removed his hands from his head. There didn’t appear to be a wound, but strangely, his expression was peaceful.
“There is no way you could have made that shot without trusting the wind to guide it.” he continued. “I am completely surprised that a mortal has put so much faith in the wind. I believe I stand corrected. When my brother said you had great respect and love for our winds, he was not mistaken.”
“Thank you for saying so.” Lana said. “I apologize for firing at you. But I will do it again if you continue to threaten Aamali’s life.” she said firmly.
“The passion in your words is clear to me. You seem different from most mortals I’ve interacted with. Granted, I haven’t spoken with them as often as my Brother has... Perhaps I’ve grown ignorant.”
Cyclos spoke with great humility. This inspired Aamali to do the same. “I must apologize to you, Cyclos. I said something insensitive. Your words did resonate with me, though. I promise to try and lead my people down a more harmonious path with your gifts. What do you say? WIll you work with me on this?” she pleaded.
“Mortals aren’t as wholly selfish as you thought, Cyclos. They are endlessly surprising. That’s why I can’t not like them as much as I do.” Zephos said. “Well? I’ve of mind to agree with the Rito girl on this, but what of you?”
Valoo pitched in his own urging, as well. At least, that was how it sounded to Lana. Aamali waited for a response with bated breath. Lana feared she might have to fight again so she kept her guard up until the resolution came.
At last, Cyclos began to smile. “Very well. I shall give your people another chance. If you will agree to construct monuments and pay us respects for our gifts once more, then I suppose I will have no further room to complain. I shall make the winds around Dragon Roost Island peaceful once more.”
Relief knocked Lana off her feet. Aamali fell to her knees and thanked the Wind Gods from the bottom of her heart. She couldn’t stop tears from flowing out. The stress of having her life on the line might have been a lot for her to bear.
Valoo grinned widely, and spoke to Zephos and Cyclos some more.
“Yes, they are quite interesting.” Cyclos agreed with him.
“Interesting and special. I believe I shall keep an eye on that one in particular...” Zephos said, scratching his chin again while eyeing Lana.
The girls gathered themselves together and gave the Wind Gods deep bows of respect. Together, the brothers floated back into the sky above, until they were out of sight. And just like that, Lana could sense an instant change in the winds around the island. She didn’t know what they were usually like, but she was certain they were back to normal.
- Finally, the job is done. Now the Rito can get back to life as usual.
Lana found herself feeling prideful of her contribution to this result. Aamali was already shaking her hands vigorously and thanking her through her tears. She felt incredibly good about being able to help them. She was glad to have kept her promise.
And then that nagging feeling got caught in her throat again. Her promise. The whole reason she did this in the first place. It wasn’t just to help the Rito, it was so she could continue her journey. She had nearly forgotten once again.
Before she had the chance to mull it over some more, Aamali was tugging her along. With the winds back to normal, they could descend the mountain through the air without having to go back through Dragon Roost Cavern. That was certainly a relief, but Lana just couldn’t feel it.
As Aamali waved goodbye to Valoo, Lana’s mind wasn’t with them. She found her head spinning with an aching doubt. Was she just getting swept up in the moment? Why did she keep forgetting what all of this was for?
- Just what is wrong with me?
Those temporal rushes are AWESOME!
It's time to begin the seventh and final arc! These chapters are going to be a bit longer than usual. This one in particular is the longest one yet, so buckle up for that. This story has come quite a long way, so I hope you guys are all looking forward to seeing how it ends! Here we go!
To say the Rito were thrilled that Lana and Aamali managed to solve the wind problem in a single day was a severe understatement. As soon as the girls returned to the village (which was an astoundingly quick flight down compared to their treacherous climb), they informed the chieftain of what transpired at the summit. Before the conversation had even finished, Aamali dashed out of the office and spread the word to the entire aerie.
In minutes, Lana was surrounded by a crowd of Rito, adults and children alike. Everyone was trying to shake her hands or tug on her sleeves and thank her all at once that she quickly became overwhelmed and dizzy. Kaneli had to shoo them away, and gave Aamali a scolding for her behavior.
Lana had never been thanked quite so enthusiastically before, so she was at a total loss. She felt good about it, of course, but she had no idea how to act. Everyone looked at her like she were some kind of storybook hero. Like she was special. It was the complete opposite of how she’d been treated all her life on Greatfish Isle. She wasn’t used to it.
As promised, after a day of rest, Lana was given her reward; a mind-boggling sum of 100,000 rupees, as well as a generous stock of food and water. Lana could have bought two boats with all that money, maybe three depending on the size. She’d never seen so much money in her wildest daydreams. She insisted that it was far too much, but Kaneli insisted that it might not be enough.
So, Lana was finally set on supplies. All that remained for her to do was take the ferry to Windfall Island in a few days and purchase a new boat for herself. After that...
- After that, what am I going to do...?
Lana lay on her bed in the guest quarters, staring at the ceiling. She was surrounded by more money than she knew what to do with, as well as plenty of food and equipment. She had appropriate experience now, too. Truly, there was nothing left for her to do but buy a boat and sail north, out of the Great Sea’s waters, and search for her motherland.
But was there truly nothing left for her to do? She had still yet to settle things with Jasper, and she still possessed some things she needed to return to others. Was it really okay for her to just leave? She couldn’t help but think she had to stay around.
That thought bogged her down. It had been twenty-three days since she’d left home, and she’d spent that entire time laser-focused on her goal. And yet, now that she finally had almost everything she needed to see it through, she was having second thoughts again. She felt a familiar pit in her stomach from her days recovering on Outset Island. She felt lost.
Her goal had already slipped her mind a few times when working on her quest for the Rito, and now her unfinished business was dragging her heart through the mud. Dealing with those loose ends wasn’t a simple matter. She had no idea where to begin.
A sudden voice cut through the silence in her room. “Lana? Can you hear me?”
She recognized the voice coming from her gossip stone as King’s, but she hesitated to respond. His timing was as eerily on point as ever.
“Lana?” he called out again.
“... I hear you. What’s up?” she said.
“I have seen your success in aiding the Rito. Congratulations. I knew you would be able to help them. I am proud of you. You never cease to follow through on what you set out to do.”
“... Thanks. That’s sweet of you to say.” Lana said, feeling lonely from his words.
“I hate to be crass, but... I do need you to return the Wind Waker. Can you come see me right now?”
It was getting late, so Lana didn’t think there’d be many people near the docks. “Sure, I’ll come down.”
“Wonderful. I’ll see you shortly, then.”
King’s voice vanished quickly. Lana spent a few more moments laying on her bed, with one arm covering her eyes. She felt anxious to go down and meet with him, since she knew it would likely be the last time she’d ever see him. She thought if she waited longer, he’d stick around longer. Of course, she knew that was silly, but it didn’t stop the loneliness from growing in her heart.
At last, she rose from her bed. She was tempted to leave the Wind Waker behind on purpose, as another way to keep King around, but she felt childish for thinking that up. She tucked it on her belt and left her room.
Lana passed by a few Rito on the way out, including a handful of kids that wanted to play with her. She lamented having to turn them down again. She didn’t see Aamali on the way, though she didn’t know why she expected to.
She walked with her head hanging toward the ground, which was unusual for her. Before she knew it, she found herself at the docks. King awaited her at the end of one of the piers, with his usual docile expression. She tried to force herself to smile as she headed over to greet him.
“It is lovely to see you again. I am glad we had the chance to speak, even if for one last time.” King said.
“Yeah... I’m glad, too.” she said.
In truth, she wasn’t. She couldn’t help herself from feeling desperately lonely. She didn’t understand why. She had no problem being alone before, but now she felt like she needed someone to give her a little direction. She wasn’t sure if she could find it on her own.
- What is wrong with me? This isn’t like me at all...
“The Wind Waker really saved the day. It was a great help, and conducting the wind for a bit was an unforgettable experience.” Lana said, keeping her true feelings locked inside.
“I am much relieved to hear that it served you well. I saw you even got to speak with the Wind Gods. That’s a truly rare experience, even for those like me. I hope it will become a valuable memory for you.” he said.
“You have quite the way with words, haha. I’m sure it will.” Lana said, pulling out the magical baton and presenting it to King. “Here you go. The Hero will need this someday, so please continue protecting it.”
“I swear that I will.” he said, taking it in his mouth. It vanished a moment later. “I must say, you seem a bit different than when I last saw you. Are you alright?”
“... I’m fine.” she said.
Lana’s heart felt wrenched. She really wasn’t fine. She wanted to say she wasn’t. She wanted to ask King to stay with her a little longer, at least until she figured out what to do. But, she held it in. She knew she shouldn’t be selfish. Whatever King actually was, he was something important. She couldn’t take up his time.
Besides, she knew deep down that this rut was something she’d have to get out of herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt lost. She’d already promised herself she wouldn’t be discouraged anymore. She felt as though she didn’t deserve to progress if couldn’t live up to her own promise.
- I know it’s not a bad thing to ask for help, but that doesn’t make constantly depending on others okay. I have to figure this out... I will figure this out...
“Are you sure? You really don’t look it...” King said.
“I’m sure. I have to be able to stand on my own feet if I wanna get anywhere. You’re right that there’s something wrong with me, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Lana said this with a smile that was a bit more genuine than before. This was not unnoticed by King. He still looked worried, but he didn’t press it any further.
“I see. I will trust you, then. You seem the type to know when to ask for help.” he said. “Very well. Lana, I want to reiterate that it has been an absolute pleasure to know you. I wish you luck in all of your future endeavors, and I sincerely hope that you are able to find what you seek.”
Lana’s eyes began to feel puffy. Her words were almost stuck in her throat. “Thank you. I feel the same way. You saved my life when I was a child, and you’ve encouraged me through so many things... You’re a true friend, King. I will never forget about you, and I’m gonna miss you a lot.”
“As will I. Farewell, Lana the voyager.” he said solemnly.
“Farewell, King of Red Lions.”
With that, King turned away from the docks, and slowly drifted away from Dragon Roost Island. Lana watched until she couldn’t see him anymore, and then stared at the space where he’d vanished into the horizon for a while longer. His red visage was burned into her memory, and served as a source of determination for her.
- I can’t rely on his help anymore. I’ll break through this myself.
Starting to feel a bit more confident in that, Lana decided she’d return to her room and think everything through again. But when she turned around, she nearly jumped into the air. Aamali was peeking out from behind a rock on the beach, not too far out of earshot.
“Wha?! Aamali? How... You...” she stammered.
“Uh oh, you saw me... Haha, sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, honest!” she said, coming out from her hiding place. “I saw you from above and came down to say hi, but you were talking to a boat and I was like whoa that’s weird, and then I saw that the boat was talking, too, and I was even more weirded out! So I just hid. Sorry.”
Lana sighed, and thought that it was odd that King never noticed her there. He didn’t want to be discovered, so she figured he was pretty good at sensing others.
- Well, what’s done is done. I should tell her.
“You have to promise to keep it a secret. He doesn’t want anyone to know about him.” Lana said, joining Aamali on the beach.
“He? ... As in the boat?” she asked.
“Yeah. I don’t exactly know what he is, but... He’s kind of like the Great Spirits. He knows each of them personally, apparently. He was the one who gave me the Wind Waker, too. I was returning it to him just now.” she explained.
“Wow... That sounds really mysterious.” she remarked. “So he’s the one that gave you that baton... I did think it was weird that you just happened to have it out of nowhere. I guess he was looking out for you, huh?”
A lonely smile made its home on Lana’s face. “Yeah. In more ways than one.”
Three more days passed by. On the dawn, the ferry to Windfall Island arrived. It was time for Lana to leave. She gathered up all of her equipment; her sword strapped to her waist, her deku leaf wrapped over her shoulders, her bow and arrows on her back, her Knight’s Crest on her belt, and her gossip stone on her wrist. She pulled her satchel over her shoulder and struggled to lug around her supplies in her arms. She had to get assistance carrying them to the docks.
Seeing her off at the pier was Kaneli himself. “I want to thank you again for all you did for us, Lana. You not only solved the wind problem, you also saved my daughter’s life. I will be eternally grateful for that.” he said.
“We’ve already begun construction on monuments for the Wind Gods, Zephos and Cyclos, on a small jut of land a short ways off the coast. It’s very easy to reach, so we should have no problems giving proper thanks there.” his aide said.
“That’s good to hear. I’m glad things are working out.” Lana said.
“It was actually Aamali who came up with the design for the monuments, you know.” Kaneli said. “She dug through ancient texts and discovered musical tributes to the Wind Gods. The monuments have been inscribed with them as a sign of respect. She truly lives up to her duties as sacred attendant.”
It was clear to Lana that Kaneli was very proud of his daughter. Whatever her personality was like, she always performed her job with full effort. She’d come to grow fond of the bubbly Rito girl. Speaking of which...
“Actually, where is Aamali? I’m surprised she didn’t come with you...” Lana said.
“Well... We did tell her that we were seeing you off, but... She wouldn’t come out of her room. I don’t know why.” Kaneli said.
- Is she just no good at saying goodbye? ... Nah, that doesn’t sound like her at all. If anything...
“Oh, good, you’re still here! Almost thought I’d missed you!”
Aamali’s voice rang out over their heads, and Lana looked up to discover her intuition was on the mark.
“Aamali?! What in the world are you doing now...” her father said.
“I’m going with Lana, of course! Well, just for a while.” she announced as she touched down.
Truly, she was already outfitted for a journey. She was dressed in the battle armor she’d worn when they went through Dragon Roost Cavern, hammer and all. She also had a supply bag of her own all ready to go. She had a rather mischievous smile on her face.
“Huh? Lady Aamali, why are you-” the aide started to say.
“Lana saved my life, so as a sign of respect, I’m going to accompany her for a while!” Aamali said. “To her next destination at the minimum. Maybe a bit beyond that, too, or until she tells me to scram. Whatever she wants.”
“... Lana, I apologize about her. You don’t need to put up with her if you don’t want to.” Kaneli said, sighing.
“Hey, don’t make me sound like some kind of nuisance!” Aamali fumed.
To both of their surprise, Lana began laughing. She smiled warmly, feeling that her mood had been lifted a bit.
- I don’t know why, but that really cheered me up. I guess I really could use some company.
“It’s fine. I’m happy to have you around, Aamali. Thanks.” Lana said.
The Rito girl began blushing, which was a bit uncharacteristic of her. “What the heck, are you some kind of saint? Jeez...” she said. “Well, if you say so, then I’m gonna hang around you for as long as you want!”
“But... Lady Aamali, you’re an attendant! You can’t just...” the aide said, sounding flustered.
“It’s fine.” Kaneli said. “Perhaps a trip out into the world could do her some good. Just promise to be safe, and I’ll have no complaints.”
“Thanks, dad! I love you!” Aamali said, giving her father a big hug.
Lana continued to smile watching them embrace. She did feel a bit better now that she had a companion to tag along with her again. She tried to give her next steps careful thought in the days she spent awaiting the ferry, but she still didn’t have an answer she was satisfied with.
- Maybe being around someone as lively as her will give me a fresher perspective. At any rate, I’ll just head to Windfall for now and go from there...
With those thoughts in her mind, Lana boarded the ferry with Aamali. There weren’t any other passengers coming aboard. The people it had carried over were all human employees that worked in the Rito’s mail room, finally able to return to their jobs. Because of that, the girls had the ferry all to themselves.
Aamali waved goodbye to her father energetically on the deck of the ship. Lana stood at her side, gazing up at the great mountain. Thinking back on her adventure and her meeting with the Great Valoo and the Wind Gods, she was left with a valuable experience and an exciting memory, but also a strange doubt that continued to plague her mind.
- Am I really as special as they said I was?
“Man, ships sure are slow... It must suck for humans to not have wings, huh?” Aamali said.
“I dunno, I really like sailing. Feeling the waves rock you around is really relaxing.” Lana said.
“Is it really all that great? If anything, I’m feeling a bit unsettled by it...” she said.
The girls sat on benches on the ferry’s deck. They had been at sea for nearly an hour. By Lana’s estimation, they were almost halfway to Windfall. Aside from chatting, they also took some time to exercise together. They bonded over their workout routines and weapon drills. Since they were the only ones aboard, they had plenty of space on the deck.
Whenever things quieted down, Lana would recede back inside of herself. She continued to mull over everything that happened on Dragon Roost Island. Discovering that she was a Wind Waker had shocked her more than she initially thought. Sure, she’d done lots of amazing things throughout her journey, but she always attributed that to her own hard work. Being told she was special made her feel awkward.
If she was special, what did that mean for all of her efforts? Was she only able to do it because she was special? Was she not giving herself proper credit again? Or did being special not even matter? She didn’t know what the right answer was. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, either. Perhaps she really had lost her way.
Now that she finally had everything she needed to buy a boat and search for her motherland, she felt held back by an obligation to stick around and see everything through. Was this because she was special? Did she think she had to stay around just because she had special abilities like being a Wind Waker? Or was it because she still hadn’t defeated Jasper?
Whatever the case, Lana just couldn’t bring herself to feel like it was okay for her to leave the Great Sea. Her next step should have been to buy a boat and sail north, but she had gotten wrapped up in too many things over the course of her journey. She didn’t know what the right thing to do was anymore.
- I just can’t seem to find an answer from myself... Why can’t I? What is wrong with me?
Lana’s insecurities stayed in the back of her mind all the way to their destination. Around ten in the morning, the silhouette of Windfall Island came into view. That familiar windmill that towered over all the other buildings in town breached the horizon line, and reminded Lana of bitter experiences.
“Wow, so that’s Windfall... The town practically covers the whole island.” Aamali said.
“Yeah. It looks pretty, but the people aren’t very pleasant.” Lana said.
“Oh, really? That’s a shame... Not a single one of them is nice?”
“... Actually, there is someone nice there.” Lana said, recalling she had made a single friend on that island. “Maybe we should go see him.”
“Oh? A friend of yours? I’d love to meet him!” Aamali said excitedly.
- I’m sure Lenzo’s made it home by now... It’s been quite a while, after all.
Lana’s mood improved even more at the prospect of reuniting with a friend. The ferry pulled into the docks alongside dozens of other ships. Windfall had the largest port on the Great Sea, naturally. Surely one of the boats there had to be for sale. However, Lana decided to think about that later.
As they disembarked, Lana did indeed get a reunion with a friend. Just, not the one she was expecting. As the girls walked through the marina, Lana spotted a boat she recognized docked at a small pier. She stopped in her tracks and stared at it hard. It was rather small, but still spacious for two people, and it had a number of weapons on board.
“... No way.” Lana said in disbelief.
A thud and a clangang sound drew her attention away from the boat. “Hm?” Aamali winced.
Standing at the foot of the harbor was the boat’s owner. A man Lana knew well. A man who had once trained her how to fight. It was the self-proclaimed master swordsman, Orca. He had dropped his bags and weapon at his feet, staring at Lana in utter shock.
“Wh... Wh... What...” he said.
“Orca?!” Lana gasped. “What are you doing on Windfall?”
“Oh? You know this guy? Is he the friend you mentioned?” Aamali asked.
“No. I mean, yeah, he’s a friend, but he’s-” she started to say.
“LANA! YOU'RE ALIVE!” Orca shouted.
He sprinted over and grabbed Lana’s shoulders, shaking her around. “Wah! Calm down!” she yelped.
“You’re really alive! You’re not a ghost or anything, right? It’s really you, right?” Orca said, starting to blubber.
“Yeah, I’m alive! I’m not a ghost! Calm down!” Lana pleaded with him.
Orca only started bawling harder. “Thank goodness! You’re alive! I really thought you were dead! I can’t believe it! My student is alive!”
“Wow, he sure can cry.” Aamali giggled.
“Orca, calm down, seriously... People are starting to stare.” Lana said, feeling wholly embarrassed.
“Ah...! You’re right. A master swordsman shouldn’t be showing such weakness... I’m sorry.” he said, wiping his eyes.
Together, the three of them moved away from the docks and found a place to sit in the field outside of town. From there, they recounted what had happened since they’d gotten separated in the Forbidden Woods. Aamali snacked on some of her rations as she let the two friends catch up with each other.
“I see... I really thought you’d died when you fell from so high up... I couldn’t see you, and you weren’t responding, and that mothula made it impossible for me to search for you...” Orca said. “I guess I ended up abandoning you by mistake, then... I have shamed you as your mentor. I can’t apologize enough.”
“It’s not your fault, Orca. I’m just glad to know you didn’t do it on purpose.” Lana said sweetly. “So what are you doing here? You didn’t go back to Outset?”
“... I couldn’t bring myself to. I was so ashamed of losing you that I couldn’t bear to face my brother or anyone else. I’ve just been kinda wandering aimlessly ever since.” he explained. “To think I’d run into you again like this... Huh? Wait, is that...?”
Orca leapt to his feet and began pointing at Lana’s waist. “Uh? What’s up?” she asked.
“On your belt! That’s not a... Is it?” he said, his voice trembling.
“Oh! Jeez, I almost forgot about that!” Lana said. “Yeah, it’s a Knight’s Crest. I found it after we got split up. There really was one in the Forbidden Woods. You were right all along, Orca!” she said, smiling.
Orca seemed at a loss for words. His lips quivered and looked like they were trying to form a sentence, but no sound came out. His eyes began tearing up as he stared at its golden sheen. Lana smiled softly.
“It’s yours, you know. Let me give it to you. That’s why I even bothered to pick it up in the first place, and that’s why I’ve held onto it for so long.” she said, rising to her feet so she could remove it.
“No! Please, don’t...” Orca said, finally able to speak again. “You were the one who earned that Crest, not me. I was a failure of a master who abandoned his student, even if it was a mistake. I don’t deserve it.... Please, just hold onto it.” he said.
- Wow... He seems a lot more humble now than when I first met him. I guess thinking that he lost me really affected him...
Lana hadn’t realized how much her being his student had meant to Orca until then. Her smile grew wider, and she patted him on the shoulder. Aamali watched this scene unfold quietly, smiling as she ate her snacks.
“You’re no failure. Your teachings have saved my life so many times in my travels. I’d have never made it this far if it weren’t for you. Thank you for being my master, Orca.” she said.
Orca’s tears began spilling out once again. “Lana... You really are... The best student a master could ask for...” he sobbed.
After allowing him to get those tears out of his system, the three of them continued on through the town together. Orca had apparently been there for a couple days already, but it was Aamali’s first time in such a big town. Her eyes darted from one wonder to the next, like a starry-eyed child. Lana found it amusing to watch her dash around the street ahead of them. If only Lana had first arrived at Windfall normally, that could have been her reaction, too.
However, another strange reunion took place before the group reached their destination, this time in the streets. Lana heard a familiar spinning sound above her head, and she looked up to spy a korok flitting about between the buildings.
“Huh? What the...” Lana said.
“Hm? What’s wrong now?” Aamali asked.
The korok darted down an alleyway, and Lana gave chase. “Hey, where are you going?!” Orca called out after her.
- What is a korok doing here? That one looked like...
After pursuing the forest spirit for a few blocks, she found herself out in front of the windmill. She looked up to see him hovering high up, looking flustered. He kept looking around uncertainly, like he was searching for something and couldn’t find it. She decided to call out to him.
“Peeks! Is that you?” she yelled up.
“Huh?! ... Lana? What?!” he gasped. “No way! Hahaha! It is you! Wowee!”
Peeks got really excited and dove down into Lana’s arms. She managed to haphazardly catch him in a hug. At that moment, Aamali and Orca finally caught up to her. They were quite surprised by the odd sight.
“Huh? What the heck is that thing?” Orca asked.
“It’s so cute!” Aamali squealed.
“Guys, this is Peeks! He’s a korok friend I made at the Forest Haven.” Lana introduced, still holding the little spirit in her arms.
“Oh! Are you Lana’s friends? It’s super nice to meet you!” he said.
“Gah! It talks!” Orca cried.
“Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” Aamali said again. “Can I hold him?”
“I’m not a stuffed toy, you know!” Peeks huffed. “... But you may.”
- Ahahah, he likes being held, huh?
Aamali looked like she was on cloud nine with Peeks snuggling into her arms. The little korok seemed quite cozy in all her feathers, himself. Lana found her spirits rising higher than before. Orca, on the other hand, was rather confused by all this.
“So this piece of wood is a forest spirit...? What the heck is it doing here, then?” he wondered.
“Oh, allow me to explain!” Peeks said, returning to the air. “You see, we koroks help encourage the growth of forests all across the Great Sea! Not just forests, too, all kinds of plant life! We do this by spreading the Great Deku Tree’s seeds to other islands! It’s his dream to one day see the islands covered in beautiful flora again.”
“Wow, that sounds wonderful.” Lana said. “So you were trying to do that here?”
“I was, but... It’s really hard to find a good place for the seed with so many buildings covering the island... I’m having a hard time.” he said sadly.
“Yeah, this island isn’t very plant-accessible...” Lana said.
“There’s a big field over that way, though...” Aamali said. “Did you try over there?”
“There’s already plenty of nature over there. There’s not much point to my job if I just keep it all in one place, you know?” Peeks said.
“Oh, that makes sense.” Aamali nodded.
“Sorry, uh... I’m still processing that we’re talking to a flying piece of wood.” Orca said.
“Hey, that’s so rude! I’m a korok, not a piece of wood!” Peeks pouted.
“Haha, it’s okay. Magical stuff freaked me out at first, too.” Lana laughed. “My friend’s house is right near here, actually. Why don’t we all drop in and see him together?”
“Really? He won’t mind the crowd?” Aamali asked.
“I think he’d just get excited , if anything.” Lana assured her.
“A break sounds nice! I’ll come, too!” Peeks said.
“Yeah, I might as well go with you. Got nothin’ else to do...” Orca said.
“Great!” Lana said, smiling.
- This ended up an even bigger reunion than I was expecting... What are the odds that so many of my friends happened to be here today? I can’t wait to see Lenzo, too. This will be really nice.
Lana found herself feeling excited. All the familiar faces were cheering her up quite a bit. She was happy to see everyone again. She merrily skipped across the plaza in front of the windmill, her friends following behind her. Lenzo’s house was just across the way, and it looked the same as ever. That was a bit comforting to her.
She knocked on the door, and the familiar voice of her friend called out from within. She could hear his footsteps approaching the door, and she felt a little squirmy. When the door opened, there he was, looking the same as when she’d first met him.
When he saw that it was Lana at his door, a big smile spread across his face. “Wow! Lana?! I didn’t expect this! It’s so good to see you again!” he said, vigorously shaking her hand. “And wow, you’ve brought quite a crowd with you!”
“Yeah, we all just happened to meet up here. Guys, this is Lenzo, one of the first friends I’ve made on my journey.” Lana introduced.
“Nice to meet you!” Aamali said.
“Super nice to meet you!” Peeks echoed.
“Hey, there.” Orca said.
“Ah, Orca! So you’re here, as well.” Lenzo observed.
“Huh? Have we met?” he asked.
“... Wha? You’ve met him! He was on Outset with me!” Lana said.
“Yeah, I even said goodbye to you two when you left!” Lenzo added.
“... Oh... Yeah, totally... I remember...” Orca said completely unconvincingly.
“Whoa!” Lenzo blurted out. “I just noticed that you’re a Rito, miss! Spectacular! I’ve never met one before! And! Oh my gosh! A korok! You’re a korok, aren’t you? This is exciting! Please, you must all come inside at once!”
“Wow, he’s just as excited as you said he’d be, Lana.” Aamali laughed.
“I like this guy!” Peeks said.
And so, the whole group moved inside Lenzo’s house. He pulled his table out from the wall a bit so everyone could sit around it. He also made room for everyone's belongings to be set down. He even prepared lunch for everyone. Lana helped him cook a nice pot of fish stew, while Orca and Aamali got to talking.
Orca was quite curious about her hammer and its unique design. They got sucked into a discussion about how it was made and the way Aamali used it to fight in midair. Meanwhile, Peeks hovered over Lana and Lenzo, the latter of whom unable to peel his sparkling eyes away from the forest spirit. He insisted he be allowed to take a pictograph later.
Once they were all seated with a bowl of stew, Lenzo had to give them each a lecture about his pictographs. Orca was bored out of his mind, but Aamali found it fascinating. She allowed Lenzo to take a pictograph of herself, and got very excited when she saw the result. Peeks was pretty into the whole thing, too.
Eventually, the conversation turned back around to Lana. Lenzo was curious to know what she’d gotten up to after they parted ways on Outset Island. Orca wanted to know how she’d made it out of the Forbidden Woods, as well, and Aamali just wanted to know everything, since she was the most recent friend Lana had made.
And so, Lana started at the beginning. Her story began on Greatfish Isle, on the day of her departure. She explained how she was captured by the Forsaken Pirates as soon as she’d set out, and managed to escape all by herself and ran right into Emilia’s Pirates.
Then she explained how Emilia had dumped her on Windfall Island at her request, how she almost starved because of the townsfolk’s indifference to her, and how that led her to meeting Lenzo. From there, the two of them discussed their adventures together seeking wondrous sights to use as subjects for pictographs.
That led into their painful three days of drifting on the open sea after spotting the ghost ship. They explained how they barely managed to come ashore on Outset Island and spent almost a whole week recovering. From there, Lana met Orca, who taught her how to fight in exchange for her help on a quest to find a Knight’s Crest.
That was where Lana and Lenzo split up, so Orca joined in. Together, he and Lana shared how their incursion into the Forbidden Woods met with disaster right off the bat, splitting them up and leaving Orca thinking she was dead. He explained that he fled from the Woods in a panic and began sailing around aimlessly until he happened to reunite with her just earlier that day.
Lana took the floor again, detailing how she fought her way out of the Woods and ran into Peeks. The next part of the story was tricky, because she didn’t want to mention the King of Red Lions to them. Peeks and Aamali understood that, but Orca and Lenzo were a bit confused. They fudged a simple explanation that Lana had met her childhood benefactor and left it at that.
And so, Lana explained how she and Peeks and the rest of the koroks defended the Forest Haven from the Forsaken Pirates. Orca was very impressed by the story, feeling proud that his teachings allowed Lana to save the day. Lenzo and Aamali were just as awed.
Lana then told them how she received another request from her benefactor, to infiltrate the Forsaken Fortress and steal back treasure. She had run into Emilia on the way there, and they partnered up for the job. They succeeded, but not without Lana discovering that Jasper, the King of the Forsaken Pirates, was searching for her in order to steal a powerful spell from her homeland.
Then, Lana talked about her meeting with the Fairy Queen, and how she was tasked against her will to hide artifacts for the Legendary Hero. That was also how she ended up running into a big octo, the object of her nightmares. She explained how she managed to slay the beast and almost died in the process.
That encounter led her to Dragon Roost Island, where she’d met Aamali. It was her turn to join in the storytelling now. Together, they explained how they met and agreed to work together to figure out why the winds around the island were going crazy. They fought through Dragon Roost Cavern together, and met the Great Valoo and the Wind Gods. The quest was a success, and the day was saved.
And thus, after that long tale, they finally made it back up to the present. Lana and Aamali had left Dragon Roost Island together, and ended up running into everyone on Windfall. It was quite a story, and everyone enjoyed hearing about all the parts they didn’t get to see. But naturally, after such an eventful recounting, there was still something remaining that had to be addressed.
How was it going to end?
“So now that you’ve made it this far, Lana, what are you going to do?” Lenzo asked.
“Yeah, you’re gonna buy a boat and try to find your motherland now, right?” Aamali asked.
“That seems like the obvious thing to do.” Orca said. “As for me, I’m just gonna go home after this. Knowing you’re alive is a huge relief.”
“We weren’t asking about you, silly!” Peeks said. “So? What are you gonna do next, Lana?”
“...”
Lana was silent. What was she going to do next? She still didn’t have an answer she was satisfied with. She’d sailed all around the Great Sea, getting involved in one thing after another, and it had taken her twenty-six days to finally reach the point where she could finish preparing and leave for her motherland. But would she? Could she?
“... I honestly don’t know. I don’t know anymore.” she said quietly.
Silence overtook the room. Lenzo, Orca, Peeks, and Aamali all gazed at her quietly. Lana felt awkward under their stares. They were waiting for an answer, but she didn’t have one to give them. Truly, what was she going to do next?
“...na! Lana! Damnit, answer me! Lana!”
A shrill voice came from the gossip stone, startling everyone in the room.
“Huh? Emilia? Is that you?” Lana asked, clutching the gossip stone in her right hand.
“Whoa... Long distance communication in action... Fascinating!” Lenzo said.
“Ah! Finally, what took you so frigging long!” Emilia sounded incredibly angry.
“Sorry, sorry. What’s-” Lana began.
“Shut up and listen to me! You need to go home right now!” Emilia’s voice shouted. “You hear me? You have to hurry! Jasper’s back, and he’s attacking Greatfish Isle! Your home is in danger! Get your ass back here and help me stop him, fast!”
Emilia’s voice abruptly cut off. Silence filled the room even more heavily than before. No one breathed. No one moved. How could they, after hearing something like that? What were they supposed to say to that? They were all suffocated by the weight of the urgent message they’d just heard.
Lana moved. She didn’t think, she just moved. She busted open the door to Lenzo’s house and sprinted at top speed. She didn’t even know where she was running. She just ran. Her mind was spinning so fast, it took time for her head to form any coherent thoughts.
- All my fault. All my fault. This is all my fault.
Those thoughts violently pierced through her heart, over and over. Her home was under attack from her mortal enemy, the very one she’d sworn to kill before it ever came to this. She swore she’d kill him and keep her family safe, but now it was too late. And it was all her fault for hesitating to kill him when she had the chance.
- What have I even been doing all this time? Who cares about being a Wind Waker? Who cares about going on a journey? What’s the point of any of it if they aren’t safe?
Finally, Lana seemed to regain some sense of awareness about her surroundings. As if on instinct, she found herself standing in the harbor, at the edge of a pier. But what good did that do? She didn’t have a boat yet. If only she’d bought a boat like she’d planned to, she could already be on her way home.
“No... No...! What do I do...” she breathed.
She couldn’t stop her tears from falling or her head from splitting. While she stood there, Jasper was attacking her home. She had to go and help them. She needed to. She needed to go with every fiber of her being, but she couldn't. She had no means of going. She felt hopelessly stuck and powerless.
- I’m not special. I really am just a girl. A girl who can’t do anything when it really matters... Why? Why is this happening? What did I ever do to deserve this? Please, someone... Anyone...
“... Help me...” she cried.
No answer came. Not from herself, not from her surroundings, not from anywhere. Lana knelt on the pier and cried, desperately wanting someone to reach out to her again. She felt truly alone and weak. It was too much for her to solve on her own. So what could she do?
“... Then climb aboard, Lana.”
She jolted from the sudden voice, rubbed her eyes, and looked in front of her. At the edge of the harbor, looking at her with that same patient expression, was none other than the King of Red Lions.
“Wha... King?” she said, stunned. “How... How are you here?” she asked, shakily rising to her feet.
“I can see what goes on through the gossip stone. Or did you forget?” he explained. “As it happens, I overheard Emilia’s message. And so, I am here to help. Just like you asked.”
Lana couldn’t believe her eyes. She thought she’d never see him again, and now, he’s back when she needed him most. All she had to do was ask for help. That was all it took for an answer to present itself.
“Lana!” Aamali’s voice called out.
“There she is! At the docks!” Orca yelled.
“Lana! There you are! You really freaked us out!” Peeks said, flying into her arms again.
“You guys? What...” Lana said in shock.
“Lana... I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re here for you.” Lenzo said.
“Yeah! Don’t you worry! We’ve all got your back!” Aamali said.
“What kind of a master would leave his student high and dry at a time like this?” Orca said. “Well? We’re going, aren’t we?”
“Huh? All of us?” Lana asked.
“Of course all of us! We’re with you all the way!” Peeks said.
“You are not alone, Lana. You have friends who will help you. You can save them. You can do this.” King said.
“Whoa! The boat talks!” Orca said.
“Amazing! That is simply amazing! I must- Wait, this isn’t the time.” Lenzo said.
“Everyone...” Lana said.
She wasn’t alone. She had friends she could count on. She wasn’t powerless. She could do this. She would do this. She had been so upset and demoralized, she’d nearly forgotten her new mantra. The one she had to drill into her head after repeated disasters and encouragements.
“Nothing is impossible...” she said. “Okay. We’re doing this. We’re going to go to Greatfish Isle, defeat Jasper, and save my home!”
“Yeah!” everyone said in unison, throwing their firsts into the air.
“Except... How do we all get there?” Lenzo asked.
Lana began to grin. Seeing King again gave her just the answer she needed.
“We’re going to ride the winds!”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Priorities Lost
Priorities Lost
To say the Rito were thrilled that Lana and Aamali managed to solve the wind problem in a single day was a severe understatement. As soon as the girls returned to the village (which was an astoundingly quick flight down compared to their treacherous climb), they informed the chieftain of what transpired at the summit. Before the conversation had even finished, Aamali dashed out of the office and spread the word to the entire aerie.
In minutes, Lana was surrounded by a crowd of Rito, adults and children alike. Everyone was trying to shake her hands or tug on her sleeves and thank her all at once that she quickly became overwhelmed and dizzy. Kaneli had to shoo them away, and gave Aamali a scolding for her behavior.
Lana had never been thanked quite so enthusiastically before, so she was at a total loss. She felt good about it, of course, but she had no idea how to act. Everyone looked at her like she were some kind of storybook hero. Like she was special. It was the complete opposite of how she’d been treated all her life on Greatfish Isle. She wasn’t used to it.
As promised, after a day of rest, Lana was given her reward; a mind-boggling sum of 100,000 rupees, as well as a generous stock of food and water. Lana could have bought two boats with all that money, maybe three depending on the size. She’d never seen so much money in her wildest daydreams. She insisted that it was far too much, but Kaneli insisted that it might not be enough.
So, Lana was finally set on supplies. All that remained for her to do was take the ferry to Windfall Island in a few days and purchase a new boat for herself. After that...
- After that, what am I going to do...?
Lana lay on her bed in the guest quarters, staring at the ceiling. She was surrounded by more money than she knew what to do with, as well as plenty of food and equipment. She had appropriate experience now, too. Truly, there was nothing left for her to do but buy a boat and sail north, out of the Great Sea’s waters, and search for her motherland.
But was there truly nothing left for her to do? She had still yet to settle things with Jasper, and she still possessed some things she needed to return to others. Was it really okay for her to just leave? She couldn’t help but think she had to stay around.
That thought bogged her down. It had been twenty-three days since she’d left home, and she’d spent that entire time laser-focused on her goal. And yet, now that she finally had almost everything she needed to see it through, she was having second thoughts again. She felt a familiar pit in her stomach from her days recovering on Outset Island. She felt lost.
Her goal had already slipped her mind a few times when working on her quest for the Rito, and now her unfinished business was dragging her heart through the mud. Dealing with those loose ends wasn’t a simple matter. She had no idea where to begin.
A sudden voice cut through the silence in her room. “Lana? Can you hear me?”
She recognized the voice coming from her gossip stone as King’s, but she hesitated to respond. His timing was as eerily on point as ever.
“Lana?” he called out again.
“... I hear you. What’s up?” she said.
“I have seen your success in aiding the Rito. Congratulations. I knew you would be able to help them. I am proud of you. You never cease to follow through on what you set out to do.”
“... Thanks. That’s sweet of you to say.” Lana said, feeling lonely from his words.
“I hate to be crass, but... I do need you to return the Wind Waker. Can you come see me right now?”
It was getting late, so Lana didn’t think there’d be many people near the docks. “Sure, I’ll come down.”
“Wonderful. I’ll see you shortly, then.”
King’s voice vanished quickly. Lana spent a few more moments laying on her bed, with one arm covering her eyes. She felt anxious to go down and meet with him, since she knew it would likely be the last time she’d ever see him. She thought if she waited longer, he’d stick around longer. Of course, she knew that was silly, but it didn’t stop the loneliness from growing in her heart.
At last, she rose from her bed. She was tempted to leave the Wind Waker behind on purpose, as another way to keep King around, but she felt childish for thinking that up. She tucked it on her belt and left her room.
Lana passed by a few Rito on the way out, including a handful of kids that wanted to play with her. She lamented having to turn them down again. She didn’t see Aamali on the way, though she didn’t know why she expected to.
She walked with her head hanging toward the ground, which was unusual for her. Before she knew it, she found herself at the docks. King awaited her at the end of one of the piers, with his usual docile expression. She tried to force herself to smile as she headed over to greet him.
“It is lovely to see you again. I am glad we had the chance to speak, even if for one last time.” King said.
“Yeah... I’m glad, too.” she said.
In truth, she wasn’t. She couldn’t help herself from feeling desperately lonely. She didn’t understand why. She had no problem being alone before, but now she felt like she needed someone to give her a little direction. She wasn’t sure if she could find it on her own.
- What is wrong with me? This isn’t like me at all...
“The Wind Waker really saved the day. It was a great help, and conducting the wind for a bit was an unforgettable experience.” Lana said, keeping her true feelings locked inside.
“I am much relieved to hear that it served you well. I saw you even got to speak with the Wind Gods. That’s a truly rare experience, even for those like me. I hope it will become a valuable memory for you.” he said.
“You have quite the way with words, haha. I’m sure it will.” Lana said, pulling out the magical baton and presenting it to King. “Here you go. The Hero will need this someday, so please continue protecting it.”
“I swear that I will.” he said, taking it in his mouth. It vanished a moment later. “I must say, you seem a bit different than when I last saw you. Are you alright?”
“... I’m fine.” she said.
Lana’s heart felt wrenched. She really wasn’t fine. She wanted to say she wasn’t. She wanted to ask King to stay with her a little longer, at least until she figured out what to do. But, she held it in. She knew she shouldn’t be selfish. Whatever King actually was, he was something important. She couldn’t take up his time.
Besides, she knew deep down that this rut was something she’d have to get out of herself. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt lost. She’d already promised herself she wouldn’t be discouraged anymore. She felt as though she didn’t deserve to progress if couldn’t live up to her own promise.
- I know it’s not a bad thing to ask for help, but that doesn’t make constantly depending on others okay. I have to figure this out... I will figure this out...
“Are you sure? You really don’t look it...” King said.
“I’m sure. I have to be able to stand on my own feet if I wanna get anywhere. You’re right that there’s something wrong with me, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Lana said this with a smile that was a bit more genuine than before. This was not unnoticed by King. He still looked worried, but he didn’t press it any further.
“I see. I will trust you, then. You seem the type to know when to ask for help.” he said. “Very well. Lana, I want to reiterate that it has been an absolute pleasure to know you. I wish you luck in all of your future endeavors, and I sincerely hope that you are able to find what you seek.”
Lana’s eyes began to feel puffy. Her words were almost stuck in her throat. “Thank you. I feel the same way. You saved my life when I was a child, and you’ve encouraged me through so many things... You’re a true friend, King. I will never forget about you, and I’m gonna miss you a lot.”
“As will I. Farewell, Lana the voyager.” he said solemnly.
“Farewell, King of Red Lions.”
With that, King turned away from the docks, and slowly drifted away from Dragon Roost Island. Lana watched until she couldn’t see him anymore, and then stared at the space where he’d vanished into the horizon for a while longer. His red visage was burned into her memory, and served as a source of determination for her.
- I can’t rely on his help anymore. I’ll break through this myself.
Starting to feel a bit more confident in that, Lana decided she’d return to her room and think everything through again. But when she turned around, she nearly jumped into the air. Aamali was peeking out from behind a rock on the beach, not too far out of earshot.
“Wha?! Aamali? How... You...” she stammered.
“Uh oh, you saw me... Haha, sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, honest!” she said, coming out from her hiding place. “I saw you from above and came down to say hi, but you were talking to a boat and I was like whoa that’s weird, and then I saw that the boat was talking, too, and I was even more weirded out! So I just hid. Sorry.”
Lana sighed, and thought that it was odd that King never noticed her there. He didn’t want to be discovered, so she figured he was pretty good at sensing others.
- Well, what’s done is done. I should tell her.
“You have to promise to keep it a secret. He doesn’t want anyone to know about him.” Lana said, joining Aamali on the beach.
“He? ... As in the boat?” she asked.
“Yeah. I don’t exactly know what he is, but... He’s kind of like the Great Spirits. He knows each of them personally, apparently. He was the one who gave me the Wind Waker, too. I was returning it to him just now.” she explained.
“Wow... That sounds really mysterious.” she remarked. “So he’s the one that gave you that baton... I did think it was weird that you just happened to have it out of nowhere. I guess he was looking out for you, huh?”
A lonely smile made its home on Lana’s face. “Yeah. In more ways than one.”
* * *
Three more days passed by. On the dawn, the ferry to Windfall Island arrived. It was time for Lana to leave. She gathered up all of her equipment; her sword strapped to her waist, her deku leaf wrapped over her shoulders, her bow and arrows on her back, her Knight’s Crest on her belt, and her gossip stone on her wrist. She pulled her satchel over her shoulder and struggled to lug around her supplies in her arms. She had to get assistance carrying them to the docks.
Seeing her off at the pier was Kaneli himself. “I want to thank you again for all you did for us, Lana. You not only solved the wind problem, you also saved my daughter’s life. I will be eternally grateful for that.” he said.
“We’ve already begun construction on monuments for the Wind Gods, Zephos and Cyclos, on a small jut of land a short ways off the coast. It’s very easy to reach, so we should have no problems giving proper thanks there.” his aide said.
“That’s good to hear. I’m glad things are working out.” Lana said.
“It was actually Aamali who came up with the design for the monuments, you know.” Kaneli said. “She dug through ancient texts and discovered musical tributes to the Wind Gods. The monuments have been inscribed with them as a sign of respect. She truly lives up to her duties as sacred attendant.”
It was clear to Lana that Kaneli was very proud of his daughter. Whatever her personality was like, she always performed her job with full effort. She’d come to grow fond of the bubbly Rito girl. Speaking of which...
“Actually, where is Aamali? I’m surprised she didn’t come with you...” Lana said.
“Well... We did tell her that we were seeing you off, but... She wouldn’t come out of her room. I don’t know why.” Kaneli said.
- Is she just no good at saying goodbye? ... Nah, that doesn’t sound like her at all. If anything...
“Oh, good, you’re still here! Almost thought I’d missed you!”
Aamali’s voice rang out over their heads, and Lana looked up to discover her intuition was on the mark.
“Aamali?! What in the world are you doing now...” her father said.
“I’m going with Lana, of course! Well, just for a while.” she announced as she touched down.
Truly, she was already outfitted for a journey. She was dressed in the battle armor she’d worn when they went through Dragon Roost Cavern, hammer and all. She also had a supply bag of her own all ready to go. She had a rather mischievous smile on her face.
“Huh? Lady Aamali, why are you-” the aide started to say.
“Lana saved my life, so as a sign of respect, I’m going to accompany her for a while!” Aamali said. “To her next destination at the minimum. Maybe a bit beyond that, too, or until she tells me to scram. Whatever she wants.”
“... Lana, I apologize about her. You don’t need to put up with her if you don’t want to.” Kaneli said, sighing.
“Hey, don’t make me sound like some kind of nuisance!” Aamali fumed.
To both of their surprise, Lana began laughing. She smiled warmly, feeling that her mood had been lifted a bit.
- I don’t know why, but that really cheered me up. I guess I really could use some company.
“It’s fine. I’m happy to have you around, Aamali. Thanks.” Lana said.
The Rito girl began blushing, which was a bit uncharacteristic of her. “What the heck, are you some kind of saint? Jeez...” she said. “Well, if you say so, then I’m gonna hang around you for as long as you want!”
“But... Lady Aamali, you’re an attendant! You can’t just...” the aide said, sounding flustered.
“It’s fine.” Kaneli said. “Perhaps a trip out into the world could do her some good. Just promise to be safe, and I’ll have no complaints.”
“Thanks, dad! I love you!” Aamali said, giving her father a big hug.
Lana continued to smile watching them embrace. She did feel a bit better now that she had a companion to tag along with her again. She tried to give her next steps careful thought in the days she spent awaiting the ferry, but she still didn’t have an answer she was satisfied with.
- Maybe being around someone as lively as her will give me a fresher perspective. At any rate, I’ll just head to Windfall for now and go from there...
With those thoughts in her mind, Lana boarded the ferry with Aamali. There weren’t any other passengers coming aboard. The people it had carried over were all human employees that worked in the Rito’s mail room, finally able to return to their jobs. Because of that, the girls had the ferry all to themselves.
Aamali waved goodbye to her father energetically on the deck of the ship. Lana stood at her side, gazing up at the great mountain. Thinking back on her adventure and her meeting with the Great Valoo and the Wind Gods, she was left with a valuable experience and an exciting memory, but also a strange doubt that continued to plague her mind.
- Am I really as special as they said I was?
* * *
“Man, ships sure are slow... It must suck for humans to not have wings, huh?” Aamali said.
“I dunno, I really like sailing. Feeling the waves rock you around is really relaxing.” Lana said.
“Is it really all that great? If anything, I’m feeling a bit unsettled by it...” she said.
The girls sat on benches on the ferry’s deck. They had been at sea for nearly an hour. By Lana’s estimation, they were almost halfway to Windfall. Aside from chatting, they also took some time to exercise together. They bonded over their workout routines and weapon drills. Since they were the only ones aboard, they had plenty of space on the deck.
Whenever things quieted down, Lana would recede back inside of herself. She continued to mull over everything that happened on Dragon Roost Island. Discovering that she was a Wind Waker had shocked her more than she initially thought. Sure, she’d done lots of amazing things throughout her journey, but she always attributed that to her own hard work. Being told she was special made her feel awkward.
If she was special, what did that mean for all of her efforts? Was she only able to do it because she was special? Was she not giving herself proper credit again? Or did being special not even matter? She didn’t know what the right answer was. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, either. Perhaps she really had lost her way.
Now that she finally had everything she needed to buy a boat and search for her motherland, she felt held back by an obligation to stick around and see everything through. Was this because she was special? Did she think she had to stay around just because she had special abilities like being a Wind Waker? Or was it because she still hadn’t defeated Jasper?
Whatever the case, Lana just couldn’t bring herself to feel like it was okay for her to leave the Great Sea. Her next step should have been to buy a boat and sail north, but she had gotten wrapped up in too many things over the course of her journey. She didn’t know what the right thing to do was anymore.
- I just can’t seem to find an answer from myself... Why can’t I? What is wrong with me?
Lana’s insecurities stayed in the back of her mind all the way to their destination. Around ten in the morning, the silhouette of Windfall Island came into view. That familiar windmill that towered over all the other buildings in town breached the horizon line, and reminded Lana of bitter experiences.
“Wow, so that’s Windfall... The town practically covers the whole island.” Aamali said.
“Yeah. It looks pretty, but the people aren’t very pleasant.” Lana said.
“Oh, really? That’s a shame... Not a single one of them is nice?”
“... Actually, there is someone nice there.” Lana said, recalling she had made a single friend on that island. “Maybe we should go see him.”
“Oh? A friend of yours? I’d love to meet him!” Aamali said excitedly.
- I’m sure Lenzo’s made it home by now... It’s been quite a while, after all.
Lana’s mood improved even more at the prospect of reuniting with a friend. The ferry pulled into the docks alongside dozens of other ships. Windfall had the largest port on the Great Sea, naturally. Surely one of the boats there had to be for sale. However, Lana decided to think about that later.
As they disembarked, Lana did indeed get a reunion with a friend. Just, not the one she was expecting. As the girls walked through the marina, Lana spotted a boat she recognized docked at a small pier. She stopped in her tracks and stared at it hard. It was rather small, but still spacious for two people, and it had a number of weapons on board.
“... No way.” Lana said in disbelief.
A thud and a clangang sound drew her attention away from the boat. “Hm?” Aamali winced.
Standing at the foot of the harbor was the boat’s owner. A man Lana knew well. A man who had once trained her how to fight. It was the self-proclaimed master swordsman, Orca. He had dropped his bags and weapon at his feet, staring at Lana in utter shock.
“Wh... Wh... What...” he said.
“Orca?!” Lana gasped. “What are you doing on Windfall?”
“Oh? You know this guy? Is he the friend you mentioned?” Aamali asked.
“No. I mean, yeah, he’s a friend, but he’s-” she started to say.
“LANA! YOU'RE ALIVE!” Orca shouted.
He sprinted over and grabbed Lana’s shoulders, shaking her around. “Wah! Calm down!” she yelped.
“You’re really alive! You’re not a ghost or anything, right? It’s really you, right?” Orca said, starting to blubber.
“Yeah, I’m alive! I’m not a ghost! Calm down!” Lana pleaded with him.
Orca only started bawling harder. “Thank goodness! You’re alive! I really thought you were dead! I can’t believe it! My student is alive!”
“Wow, he sure can cry.” Aamali giggled.
“Orca, calm down, seriously... People are starting to stare.” Lana said, feeling wholly embarrassed.
“Ah...! You’re right. A master swordsman shouldn’t be showing such weakness... I’m sorry.” he said, wiping his eyes.
Together, the three of them moved away from the docks and found a place to sit in the field outside of town. From there, they recounted what had happened since they’d gotten separated in the Forbidden Woods. Aamali snacked on some of her rations as she let the two friends catch up with each other.
“I see... I really thought you’d died when you fell from so high up... I couldn’t see you, and you weren’t responding, and that mothula made it impossible for me to search for you...” Orca said. “I guess I ended up abandoning you by mistake, then... I have shamed you as your mentor. I can’t apologize enough.”
“It’s not your fault, Orca. I’m just glad to know you didn’t do it on purpose.” Lana said sweetly. “So what are you doing here? You didn’t go back to Outset?”
“... I couldn’t bring myself to. I was so ashamed of losing you that I couldn’t bear to face my brother or anyone else. I’ve just been kinda wandering aimlessly ever since.” he explained. “To think I’d run into you again like this... Huh? Wait, is that...?”
Orca leapt to his feet and began pointing at Lana’s waist. “Uh? What’s up?” she asked.
“On your belt! That’s not a... Is it?” he said, his voice trembling.
“Oh! Jeez, I almost forgot about that!” Lana said. “Yeah, it’s a Knight’s Crest. I found it after we got split up. There really was one in the Forbidden Woods. You were right all along, Orca!” she said, smiling.
Orca seemed at a loss for words. His lips quivered and looked like they were trying to form a sentence, but no sound came out. His eyes began tearing up as he stared at its golden sheen. Lana smiled softly.
“It’s yours, you know. Let me give it to you. That’s why I even bothered to pick it up in the first place, and that’s why I’ve held onto it for so long.” she said, rising to her feet so she could remove it.
“No! Please, don’t...” Orca said, finally able to speak again. “You were the one who earned that Crest, not me. I was a failure of a master who abandoned his student, even if it was a mistake. I don’t deserve it.... Please, just hold onto it.” he said.
- Wow... He seems a lot more humble now than when I first met him. I guess thinking that he lost me really affected him...
Lana hadn’t realized how much her being his student had meant to Orca until then. Her smile grew wider, and she patted him on the shoulder. Aamali watched this scene unfold quietly, smiling as she ate her snacks.
“You’re no failure. Your teachings have saved my life so many times in my travels. I’d have never made it this far if it weren’t for you. Thank you for being my master, Orca.” she said.
Orca’s tears began spilling out once again. “Lana... You really are... The best student a master could ask for...” he sobbed.
After allowing him to get those tears out of his system, the three of them continued on through the town together. Orca had apparently been there for a couple days already, but it was Aamali’s first time in such a big town. Her eyes darted from one wonder to the next, like a starry-eyed child. Lana found it amusing to watch her dash around the street ahead of them. If only Lana had first arrived at Windfall normally, that could have been her reaction, too.
However, another strange reunion took place before the group reached their destination, this time in the streets. Lana heard a familiar spinning sound above her head, and she looked up to spy a korok flitting about between the buildings.
“Huh? What the...” Lana said.
“Hm? What’s wrong now?” Aamali asked.
The korok darted down an alleyway, and Lana gave chase. “Hey, where are you going?!” Orca called out after her.
- What is a korok doing here? That one looked like...
After pursuing the forest spirit for a few blocks, she found herself out in front of the windmill. She looked up to see him hovering high up, looking flustered. He kept looking around uncertainly, like he was searching for something and couldn’t find it. She decided to call out to him.
“Peeks! Is that you?” she yelled up.
“Huh?! ... Lana? What?!” he gasped. “No way! Hahaha! It is you! Wowee!”
Peeks got really excited and dove down into Lana’s arms. She managed to haphazardly catch him in a hug. At that moment, Aamali and Orca finally caught up to her. They were quite surprised by the odd sight.
“Huh? What the heck is that thing?” Orca asked.
“It’s so cute!” Aamali squealed.
“Guys, this is Peeks! He’s a korok friend I made at the Forest Haven.” Lana introduced, still holding the little spirit in her arms.
“Oh! Are you Lana’s friends? It’s super nice to meet you!” he said.
“Gah! It talks!” Orca cried.
“Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” Aamali said again. “Can I hold him?”
“I’m not a stuffed toy, you know!” Peeks huffed. “... But you may.”
- Ahahah, he likes being held, huh?
Aamali looked like she was on cloud nine with Peeks snuggling into her arms. The little korok seemed quite cozy in all her feathers, himself. Lana found her spirits rising higher than before. Orca, on the other hand, was rather confused by all this.
“So this piece of wood is a forest spirit...? What the heck is it doing here, then?” he wondered.
“Oh, allow me to explain!” Peeks said, returning to the air. “You see, we koroks help encourage the growth of forests all across the Great Sea! Not just forests, too, all kinds of plant life! We do this by spreading the Great Deku Tree’s seeds to other islands! It’s his dream to one day see the islands covered in beautiful flora again.”
“Wow, that sounds wonderful.” Lana said. “So you were trying to do that here?”
“I was, but... It’s really hard to find a good place for the seed with so many buildings covering the island... I’m having a hard time.” he said sadly.
“Yeah, this island isn’t very plant-accessible...” Lana said.
“There’s a big field over that way, though...” Aamali said. “Did you try over there?”
“There’s already plenty of nature over there. There’s not much point to my job if I just keep it all in one place, you know?” Peeks said.
“Oh, that makes sense.” Aamali nodded.
“Sorry, uh... I’m still processing that we’re talking to a flying piece of wood.” Orca said.
“Hey, that’s so rude! I’m a korok, not a piece of wood!” Peeks pouted.
“Haha, it’s okay. Magical stuff freaked me out at first, too.” Lana laughed. “My friend’s house is right near here, actually. Why don’t we all drop in and see him together?”
“Really? He won’t mind the crowd?” Aamali asked.
“I think he’d just get excited , if anything.” Lana assured her.
“A break sounds nice! I’ll come, too!” Peeks said.
“Yeah, I might as well go with you. Got nothin’ else to do...” Orca said.
“Great!” Lana said, smiling.
- This ended up an even bigger reunion than I was expecting... What are the odds that so many of my friends happened to be here today? I can’t wait to see Lenzo, too. This will be really nice.
Lana found herself feeling excited. All the familiar faces were cheering her up quite a bit. She was happy to see everyone again. She merrily skipped across the plaza in front of the windmill, her friends following behind her. Lenzo’s house was just across the way, and it looked the same as ever. That was a bit comforting to her.
She knocked on the door, and the familiar voice of her friend called out from within. She could hear his footsteps approaching the door, and she felt a little squirmy. When the door opened, there he was, looking the same as when she’d first met him.
When he saw that it was Lana at his door, a big smile spread across his face. “Wow! Lana?! I didn’t expect this! It’s so good to see you again!” he said, vigorously shaking her hand. “And wow, you’ve brought quite a crowd with you!”
“Yeah, we all just happened to meet up here. Guys, this is Lenzo, one of the first friends I’ve made on my journey.” Lana introduced.
“Nice to meet you!” Aamali said.
“Super nice to meet you!” Peeks echoed.
“Hey, there.” Orca said.
“Ah, Orca! So you’re here, as well.” Lenzo observed.
“Huh? Have we met?” he asked.
“... Wha? You’ve met him! He was on Outset with me!” Lana said.
“Yeah, I even said goodbye to you two when you left!” Lenzo added.
“... Oh... Yeah, totally... I remember...” Orca said completely unconvincingly.
“Whoa!” Lenzo blurted out. “I just noticed that you’re a Rito, miss! Spectacular! I’ve never met one before! And! Oh my gosh! A korok! You’re a korok, aren’t you? This is exciting! Please, you must all come inside at once!”
“Wow, he’s just as excited as you said he’d be, Lana.” Aamali laughed.
“I like this guy!” Peeks said.
And so, the whole group moved inside Lenzo’s house. He pulled his table out from the wall a bit so everyone could sit around it. He also made room for everyone's belongings to be set down. He even prepared lunch for everyone. Lana helped him cook a nice pot of fish stew, while Orca and Aamali got to talking.
Orca was quite curious about her hammer and its unique design. They got sucked into a discussion about how it was made and the way Aamali used it to fight in midair. Meanwhile, Peeks hovered over Lana and Lenzo, the latter of whom unable to peel his sparkling eyes away from the forest spirit. He insisted he be allowed to take a pictograph later.
Once they were all seated with a bowl of stew, Lenzo had to give them each a lecture about his pictographs. Orca was bored out of his mind, but Aamali found it fascinating. She allowed Lenzo to take a pictograph of herself, and got very excited when she saw the result. Peeks was pretty into the whole thing, too.
Eventually, the conversation turned back around to Lana. Lenzo was curious to know what she’d gotten up to after they parted ways on Outset Island. Orca wanted to know how she’d made it out of the Forbidden Woods, as well, and Aamali just wanted to know everything, since she was the most recent friend Lana had made.
And so, Lana started at the beginning. Her story began on Greatfish Isle, on the day of her departure. She explained how she was captured by the Forsaken Pirates as soon as she’d set out, and managed to escape all by herself and ran right into Emilia’s Pirates.
Then she explained how Emilia had dumped her on Windfall Island at her request, how she almost starved because of the townsfolk’s indifference to her, and how that led her to meeting Lenzo. From there, the two of them discussed their adventures together seeking wondrous sights to use as subjects for pictographs.
That led into their painful three days of drifting on the open sea after spotting the ghost ship. They explained how they barely managed to come ashore on Outset Island and spent almost a whole week recovering. From there, Lana met Orca, who taught her how to fight in exchange for her help on a quest to find a Knight’s Crest.
That was where Lana and Lenzo split up, so Orca joined in. Together, he and Lana shared how their incursion into the Forbidden Woods met with disaster right off the bat, splitting them up and leaving Orca thinking she was dead. He explained that he fled from the Woods in a panic and began sailing around aimlessly until he happened to reunite with her just earlier that day.
Lana took the floor again, detailing how she fought her way out of the Woods and ran into Peeks. The next part of the story was tricky, because she didn’t want to mention the King of Red Lions to them. Peeks and Aamali understood that, but Orca and Lenzo were a bit confused. They fudged a simple explanation that Lana had met her childhood benefactor and left it at that.
And so, Lana explained how she and Peeks and the rest of the koroks defended the Forest Haven from the Forsaken Pirates. Orca was very impressed by the story, feeling proud that his teachings allowed Lana to save the day. Lenzo and Aamali were just as awed.
Lana then told them how she received another request from her benefactor, to infiltrate the Forsaken Fortress and steal back treasure. She had run into Emilia on the way there, and they partnered up for the job. They succeeded, but not without Lana discovering that Jasper, the King of the Forsaken Pirates, was searching for her in order to steal a powerful spell from her homeland.
Then, Lana talked about her meeting with the Fairy Queen, and how she was tasked against her will to hide artifacts for the Legendary Hero. That was also how she ended up running into a big octo, the object of her nightmares. She explained how she managed to slay the beast and almost died in the process.
That encounter led her to Dragon Roost Island, where she’d met Aamali. It was her turn to join in the storytelling now. Together, they explained how they met and agreed to work together to figure out why the winds around the island were going crazy. They fought through Dragon Roost Cavern together, and met the Great Valoo and the Wind Gods. The quest was a success, and the day was saved.
And thus, after that long tale, they finally made it back up to the present. Lana and Aamali had left Dragon Roost Island together, and ended up running into everyone on Windfall. It was quite a story, and everyone enjoyed hearing about all the parts they didn’t get to see. But naturally, after such an eventful recounting, there was still something remaining that had to be addressed.
How was it going to end?
“So now that you’ve made it this far, Lana, what are you going to do?” Lenzo asked.
“Yeah, you’re gonna buy a boat and try to find your motherland now, right?” Aamali asked.
“That seems like the obvious thing to do.” Orca said. “As for me, I’m just gonna go home after this. Knowing you’re alive is a huge relief.”
“We weren’t asking about you, silly!” Peeks said. “So? What are you gonna do next, Lana?”
“...”
Lana was silent. What was she going to do next? She still didn’t have an answer she was satisfied with. She’d sailed all around the Great Sea, getting involved in one thing after another, and it had taken her twenty-six days to finally reach the point where she could finish preparing and leave for her motherland. But would she? Could she?
“... I honestly don’t know. I don’t know anymore.” she said quietly.
Silence overtook the room. Lenzo, Orca, Peeks, and Aamali all gazed at her quietly. Lana felt awkward under their stares. They were waiting for an answer, but she didn’t have one to give them. Truly, what was she going to do next?
“...na! Lana! Damnit, answer me! Lana!”
A shrill voice came from the gossip stone, startling everyone in the room.
“Huh? Emilia? Is that you?” Lana asked, clutching the gossip stone in her right hand.
“Whoa... Long distance communication in action... Fascinating!” Lenzo said.
“Ah! Finally, what took you so frigging long!” Emilia sounded incredibly angry.
“Sorry, sorry. What’s-” Lana began.
“Shut up and listen to me! You need to go home right now!” Emilia’s voice shouted. “You hear me? You have to hurry! Jasper’s back, and he’s attacking Greatfish Isle! Your home is in danger! Get your ass back here and help me stop him, fast!”
Emilia’s voice abruptly cut off. Silence filled the room even more heavily than before. No one breathed. No one moved. How could they, after hearing something like that? What were they supposed to say to that? They were all suffocated by the weight of the urgent message they’d just heard.
Lana moved. She didn’t think, she just moved. She busted open the door to Lenzo’s house and sprinted at top speed. She didn’t even know where she was running. She just ran. Her mind was spinning so fast, it took time for her head to form any coherent thoughts.
- All my fault. All my fault. This is all my fault.
Those thoughts violently pierced through her heart, over and over. Her home was under attack from her mortal enemy, the very one she’d sworn to kill before it ever came to this. She swore she’d kill him and keep her family safe, but now it was too late. And it was all her fault for hesitating to kill him when she had the chance.
- What have I even been doing all this time? Who cares about being a Wind Waker? Who cares about going on a journey? What’s the point of any of it if they aren’t safe?
Finally, Lana seemed to regain some sense of awareness about her surroundings. As if on instinct, she found herself standing in the harbor, at the edge of a pier. But what good did that do? She didn’t have a boat yet. If only she’d bought a boat like she’d planned to, she could already be on her way home.
“No... No...! What do I do...” she breathed.
She couldn’t stop her tears from falling or her head from splitting. While she stood there, Jasper was attacking her home. She had to go and help them. She needed to. She needed to go with every fiber of her being, but she couldn't. She had no means of going. She felt hopelessly stuck and powerless.
- I’m not special. I really am just a girl. A girl who can’t do anything when it really matters... Why? Why is this happening? What did I ever do to deserve this? Please, someone... Anyone...
“... Help me...” she cried.
No answer came. Not from herself, not from her surroundings, not from anywhere. Lana knelt on the pier and cried, desperately wanting someone to reach out to her again. She felt truly alone and weak. It was too much for her to solve on her own. So what could she do?
“... Then climb aboard, Lana.”
She jolted from the sudden voice, rubbed her eyes, and looked in front of her. At the edge of the harbor, looking at her with that same patient expression, was none other than the King of Red Lions.
“Wha... King?” she said, stunned. “How... How are you here?” she asked, shakily rising to her feet.
“I can see what goes on through the gossip stone. Or did you forget?” he explained. “As it happens, I overheard Emilia’s message. And so, I am here to help. Just like you asked.”
Lana couldn’t believe her eyes. She thought she’d never see him again, and now, he’s back when she needed him most. All she had to do was ask for help. That was all it took for an answer to present itself.
“Lana!” Aamali’s voice called out.
“There she is! At the docks!” Orca yelled.
“Lana! There you are! You really freaked us out!” Peeks said, flying into her arms again.
“You guys? What...” Lana said in shock.
“Lana... I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re here for you.” Lenzo said.
“Yeah! Don’t you worry! We’ve all got your back!” Aamali said.
“What kind of a master would leave his student high and dry at a time like this?” Orca said. “Well? We’re going, aren’t we?”
“Huh? All of us?” Lana asked.
“Of course all of us! We’re with you all the way!” Peeks said.
“You are not alone, Lana. You have friends who will help you. You can save them. You can do this.” King said.
“Whoa! The boat talks!” Orca said.
“Amazing! That is simply amazing! I must- Wait, this isn’t the time.” Lenzo said.
“Everyone...” Lana said.
She wasn’t alone. She had friends she could count on. She wasn’t powerless. She could do this. She would do this. She had been so upset and demoralized, she’d nearly forgotten her new mantra. The one she had to drill into her head after repeated disasters and encouragements.
“Nothing is impossible...” she said. “Okay. We’re doing this. We’re going to go to Greatfish Isle, defeat Jasper, and save my home!”
“Yeah!” everyone said in unison, throwing their firsts into the air.
“Except... How do we all get there?” Lenzo asked.
Lana began to grin. Seeing King again gave her just the answer she needed.
“We’re going to ride the winds!”
Great chapter!
I was just picturing everyone piling onto KoRL there at the end.
I was just picturing everyone piling onto KoRL there at the end.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2016
Same!! I was like hows everyone gon' fit on him!!!
Time for the next chapter! This one was so much fun to write. It's also another record-breaker for longest chapter. I think you guys will enjoy it. Sadly, there's only one chapter remaining after this one. The story is about to end. Hope you can all enjoy the ride!
The cavalry was on its way. After regaining her determination, Lana set out for Greatfish Isle with her friends Lenzo, Orca, Peeks, and Aamali in tow. The island was several hours away from Windfall, so in order to speed things up, Lana had the idea to once again borrow the Wind Waker from the King of Red Lions.
Lana rode with Peeks on King, while Orca gave Lenzo and Aamali a lift on his own boat. The Wind Waker was used to conduct bursts of wind to fill their sails, explosively boosting their speed. Orca tied their bows together with a rope so they remained side by side all the way. They were making such good time, they expected to arrive within two hours.
However, who could say what the state of Greatfish Isle would be when they arrived? In order to prepare, Lana thought it best to come up with a plan of action. Jasper and his crew had to be stopped, but the question of how to stop them and save everyone remained.
“So you haven’t been able to reach Emilia again?” Aamali asked.
“No... There’s no response from the gossip stone anymore.” Lana said.
“That’s not a good sign... And it’s bad news for us, since we can’t get a handle on the situation from here otherwise.” Lenzo said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to come bursting in without knowing anything. We need to figure out what’s going on first.” Lana said.
“Leave that to me! When we get close, I can fly up and survey the island without being seen!” Peeks asserted.
“Yeah, you’re a lot smaller than me. I’d be spotted in no time.” Aamali agreed.
“Judging from that Emilia chick’s message, they’re probably already fighting.” Orca said. “But since she’s asking for help, I think we can assume she’s having trouble. Do you think they’d lose before we arrive, Lana?”
“... I want to say no, but this is Jasper we’re talking about. He’s not going to fight fair, and we don’t know what kind of crew he’s got with him. He’s had almost ten days to build a new one, so I don’t know...” she said.
“That normally wouldn’t be enough time to do anything, but if he’s as crafty as you say, who knows...” Lenzo said. “No matter what’s going on, we need to be careful. I think it’d help if we had a lay of the land.”
“Yeah, good point. I know it well, since I grew up there, so let me explain.” Lana began. She borrowed parchment from Orca and began drafting up a simple map of the island.
Greatfish Isle truly wasn’t very big. At the northern point, there was the cove that housed the island’s guardian deity, Jabun. Supposedly, he was one of the three Great Spirits. South of that was the main settlement called Goponga Village. Its main road cut through the middle, and there was also a section of it that ran perpendicular out to the west, where the harbor could be found. There were many fishing boats there. Lana’s home was even further south of the village, on the southwestern tip of the island.
The whole eastern half of the island was set atop a large hill, overlooking the village. The hilltops were used to grow grains and vegetables to supplement the seafood caught by the fishermen. On the easternmost shore, below the cliffs, was an inlet with a secluded beach. The sandy shoreline narrowly encircled the entire island, but the northern stretches of beach were very rocky.
And that was Greatfish Isle in a nutshell. After drawing up the map and marking off the important points, Lana handed it back across to Orca’s boat, and he and the others studied it carefully while she got back to conducting the wind.
“Seems to me like we should try and sneak around to that secluded beach behind the hills.” Orca suggested.
“Assuming it’s not under watch, that would be an excellent place to start from. We’d have plenty of cover.” Lenzo agreed.
“The rocks in the north near Jabun’s cove would also be a good place, if that doesn’t work out.” Lana said.
“Now, what do we do once we land...” Aamali wondered. “I guess that depends on what we find when we get there. It’s difficult to make plans without any information.”
“Indeed. Perhaps we should wait and see the situation for ourselves before we continue.” Lenzo said.
“Just leave that part to me!” Peeks said.
Lana’s heart raced with anxiety as the group continued to sail on. What if they arrived and everyone was already dead? She’d never forgive herself for as long as she lived. Even if the townsfolk had never treated her or her family well, she didn’t want to see them slaughtered by pirates.
She tried to remain calm. Thinking about it rationally, the whole reason Jasper attacked was likely so he could capture her parents and press them for information, or otherwise lure Lana into a trap. He wouldn’t outright kill them. But then... If that was his plan, how did he know that she was from Greatfish?
- I don’t have all the pieces to this yet. Thinking about this won’t do me any good without the right information. I have to see for myself. I have to put a stop to this...
Greatfish Isle was within their sights. The group waited with bated breath until they could see Peeks returning to them in the air. The little korok was finished scouting. If he had a face, it was hidden behind his leaf mask, so Lana couldn’t read any expressions he might have worn about what he’d seen.
“Guys... It doesn’t look good.” he said when he arrived.
Those words sent a fierce tremor through Lana’s body. She wanted to gag, and her heart began painfully beating against her chest. Opening with a sentence like that didn’t bode well at all.
“What did you see?” Orca asked.
“It looks like... Jasper’s crew has already won. The island is under their control.” he announced sadly.
Lana stopped breathing for a moment. Part of her wanted to scream, but she knew it wasn’t the time for that. She hadn’t heard the whole story yet, anyway. Perhaps they could still do something.
“Oh no... Are we too late?” Aamali asked.
“Are the villagers okay? And Emilia’s crew?” Lana added.
“From what I saw, most of the villagers are being rounded up in that cove in the north. The monsters have three big pirate ships blocking the harbor. There’s another pirate ship in the eastern inlet, and there are human pirates being held captive on it.” Peeks explained.
Lana took in this information carefully. “So Emilia’s crew is in the eastern inlet... And the townsfolk are in the northern cove. So that means we need to go to the rocky beach in the north. It’s close to the cove, so we should be able to listen in on what’s happening.” she surmised.
“If Emilia got beaten, but is held captive, then she’s still alive. Sounds like the villagers are still alive, too. That’s a relief.” Lenzo said.
“Yeah, but there’s probably over a hundred monsters there.” Peeks said. “Those odds are really discouraging...”
“Yeah, that’s gonna be tough for just the five of us. Especially when only three of us can fight.” Orca said, rubbing the back of his neck. “No matter how you slice it, we’re at a massive disadvantage.”
“Let’s just get to the island for now.” Lana said. “I’m sure a solution will present itself.”
She was desperate to see the situation for herself. Her parents were likely among the townsfolk being rounded up. They were her main concern, since they were probably Jasper’s true aim. She tried to have faith that he wouldn’t kill them without getting the information about her homeland that he wanted.
The ragtag team of friends began moving again, Lana using the Wind Waker to push their boats along to the shoreline. The closer the island became, the more homesick Lana felt. She’d been gone for almost a month. She never expected to be returning like this, much less at all. Perhaps it was an inappropriate thing to wonder given the circumstances, but she found herself hoping that everyone was doing well.
As the group pulled up on the shore, their eyes darted around, hoping that there weren’t any monster pirates prowling the area. The rocky section of the beach seemed safe enough. Working together, they dragged Orca’s boat up onto the beach and managed to hide it behind some large rocks. It was safely out of sight, and Peeks used his deku leaf to erase any evidence that they’d been there from the sands.
“Lana.” King’s voice quietly called out to her.
“What’s up?” she asked, joining him on the shoreline.
“I don’t have to warn you to be cautious or to be safe, because I know you will. However, I have some advice.” he began. “Seek out the Great Jabun. As a spirit of the ocean, he will surely be able to aid you.”
“Alright. Thank you. And I promise I’ll be safe. We’ll see each other again when this is over.” Lana said, trying her best to give him a brave smile.
King returned her smile, his wooden eyes full of confidence and faith. With that, he vanished into thin air. It came as quite the surprise for Lana, but she tried to write it off as more of his mysterious, magical abilities that he was always so secretive about. King would be out of harm’s way, so she needed to focus on the fight ahead.
Behind the rocks at the base of the cliff, the group quietly agreed they should climb up and survey the cove from above. Peeks went up first to make sure it was safe, and he signaled to them that it was.
Aamali revealed her wings and gave Orca a lift up, with him holding onto her legs. Similarly, Lana gave Lenzo a lift. He wrapped his arms around her, which was a bit awkward with how much taller he was than her. Lana lifted them both off the ground with a few flaps of her deku leaf, and Lenzo tried his best not to make a sound. It was perhaps a little scary for him to fly.
They were able to reach the top of the cliff without much fuss, and they were shielded from view by brush and trees. The hilltop around Jabun’s cove was mostly a natural, wooded area. The farmland started not too far past there. They fortunately didn’t need to go that far out.
As they crept through the greenery toward the edge of the cliff overlooking the cove, the group was ambushed. A blade darted out of the grass at Aamali, who couldn’t hold in a yelp as she jumped back. Lana drew her sword and motioned for the others to stand back. Aamali with her hammer and Orca with his spear were too conspicuous to fight.
Luckily for them, the fight ended there. “What? Oh, sorry, I thought you were more monsters.”
The blade’s owner was a jumpy young man. Lana recognized him from Emilia’s crew. If she recalled right, his name was Ivan. She’d seen him manning the sails before. She shared a few drinks with him and Renazo the night of their victory in the Forsaken Fortress. He seemed to have injured one of his arms, and his forehead was bleeding quite a bit, too.
“Oh! Lana! It’s really you!” Ivan said once he realized who was in front of him. “The captain said she’d called you... I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Yeah, I’m here. These are my friends.” she said, looking back at her little group of allies.
“Sorry, sorry... I just saw ‘not human’ and attacked on impulse... I apologize, miss Rito.” he said ashamedly.
“Well that’s awfully rude... But now’s not the time for that. Can you tell us what happened?” Aamali said.
“Yes, we need to understand the situation before we can decide how to act.” Lenzo said.
“Right, okay. Listen up.” Ivan began. “First, I need to apologize to you, Lana. This is all our fault. We came here to check on your parents, and apparently, Jasper was watching us. That’s how he found out about your home. At least, that’s what the captain assumed had happened.”
“So that’s it... I was wondering how he could have found out.” Lana said, feeling a dark lump form in her throat. “Why did she want to check on them?”
“She recalled that you said you were from Greatfish when you two first met, and she noticed that Jasper wanted to capture you alive really badly. She put two and two together and figured you had something he wanted. She thought that checking on your parents would be a good way to figure out what that was so she could get the upper hand on him.” Ivan explained.
“I guess that backfired pretty bad, huh?” Orca said.
“You could say that...” Ivan said. “Before we came here, we investigated Star Island, because when he fled the fort, that’s where it looked like he was heading. It’s usually crawling with monsters there, but when we arrived, it was empty. I think that’s how he built up his new crew.”
“That’s another mystery solved, then.” Lenzo said. “We know what he’s after, so the question is, how can we take advantage of that to save everyone...”
Lana had a small idea about that, but she kept quiet for the moment. It wasn’t an idea that would be well-received by the others. “Are all of the townsfolk being held in the cove up ahead?” she asked.
“Most of them. The rest of my crew is imprisoned on our own ship, in a little inlet on the eastern side of the island. Our captain is there, too... I was the only one who escaped capture.” Ivan said, sounding disappointed in himself.
- I can’t believe even Emilia was defeated... This situation is really not in our favor.
“Wait... Most of them?” Lenzo pointed out. “Is someone unaccounted for?”
“Actually, uh... Those pirate bastards strung up an old man in the center of the town. He was their example because he stood up to them after our crew was beaten.” Ivan said.
Lana sharply inhaled. There was only one elderly man on the island. It could only have been...
“Oshus... No...” she breathed.
“He’s still alive. They beat him pretty bad, but they didn’t kill him.” Ivan assured her.
Lana clenched her fists tightly. Her dear friend Oshus had to endure something horrible, and it was all her fault for failing to kill Jasper in the first place. She had to make this right, no matter what. At last, she told her allies about her plan.
“Everyone, listen. I want us to split into two groups.” Lana started to explain. “I want you guys to go to the town and rescue Oshus. Get him somewhere safe, and then head over to Emilia’s ship to free her and the rest of her crew. After that, we’ll be able to stand a chance against the monster horde if we work together.”
“That sounds good, but... What will you be doing?” Aamali asked.
Lenzo stared at her hard. He seemed to guess what she was thinking already. “You aren’t going to say you’ll face Jasper alone, are you?” he asked.
Lana bit her lip. “That’s my plan, yes.”
“What? Lana, no! That’s too dangerous!” Peeks protested.
“Come on, Lana. At least take one of us with you. Even you should know that’s a suicidal plan.” Orca said.
“No. I can’t risk you guys getting captured, too. He’ll try to use you against me like the rest of the hostages.” Lana said. “He won’t kill me. He wants to use me. So it’s not suicidal. Besides, there’s probably a bunch of pirates in the village. The more of you there are, the better.”
“But... I really don’t like this. What if you’re wrong and he doesn’t need you anymore because he has your parents?” Aamali worried.
That thought did occur to Lana already, but she stood her ground. “Peeks can keep an eye on me from the air, and then you can fly over and save me, Aamali. I trust you guys. I know you can pull that off.” she insisted.
The group didn’t look entirely convinced, so Ivan added in his opinion. “I think her plan is good. Attacking Jasper with a large force would just put the hostages in danger. She’s what he wants, so this is probably for the best.” he said.
After several moments of silent contemplation, Lenzo sighed. “Alright, fine. I’ve watched you overcome an impossible situation before, Lana, so I have faith you can do it again.” he said.
“Yeah, I’ve seen that, too!” Peeks said. “I’m scared for you, so I’ll just have to watch over you. I promise you can count on me!”
“You’re crazy, Lana, but you’re the good kind of crazy... I want to trust you. So I will.” Aamali said.
Orca glared at her with his arms crossed. “I’m not gonna lose my student a second time, got it?” he said.
Lana giggled upon hearing that. “Got it. I won’t let you down, Master Orca. And everyone, thank you. Please help my friend.” she said. “Peeks, keep an eye on me, okay? When I reveal myself to Jasper is when you guys should move to rescue Oshus. Let them know when that is.”
The group nodded and, with Ivan in tow, they began to head in the direction of the village. Aamali looked back at Lana one more time, the concern written all over her face. All Lana could do was offer her a weak smile before she continued on through the brush toward the edge of the cliff. Oshus’s fate was in the hands of her friends, and the rest of the villagers, including her parents, were in her own.
As Lana approached the cove, she began to hear voices. The closer she got, the more she recognized them.
“Please, just let us go already!” That sounded like Margo, the woman who sold leather goods.
“Just get lost! We didn’t do anything to you guys!” That sounded like Renny, her childhood bully.
“Good people, be at ease. There is only one thing I want, and only you can give it to me. You will not be harmed if you cooperate.”
That sickeningly sweet voice was unmistakably Jasper’s. Acid stung Lana’s throat as she crept closer and closer, crouching down on her stomach as she stayed low. Her heartbeat only grew faster, and all of her anxieties came to life when she was able to see into the cove.
She found herself looking down from directly above the large stone wall that supposedly blocked off the cave where Jabun resided. It hadn’t been damaged. Directly in front of that on the beach, the townsfolk sat tied up in chains. Seeing all of their familiar faces twisted into fear sent chills down her spine. And then, her heart froze when she saw her parents.
An indescribable feeling of terror and guilt welled up in Lana’s throat. Her Papa and Mama were seated at the front of the group, and Jasper stood looming over the both of him. Behind him waited a small army of at least ten moblins. Jasper carried himself with an air of importance, his arms behind his back.
“You two are Lana’s mother and father, aren’t you?” he said to them. “You must be. She’s the spitting image of you.”
“How... How do you know our daughter? What did you do to her, you monster!” her Papa, Manolo, yelled.
“You should be asking what she has done to me. She almost killed me, you know.” he said.
“Lies! Our daughter could never... She’s a gentle girl! A good girl who wouldn’t do anyone wrong! How could she be mixed up with all these pirates? I don’t believe it!” her Mama, Sofia, wailed.
Lana’s heart wrenched even more hearing her mother cry like that. It took all of her self control to not leap down immediately. Her skin clammed up and her teeth began grinding. She needed to find an opening to jump in, and fast.
“Just tell him what he wants to hear so he’ll leave us alone, already!”
“You damn icicles! This is all your fault!”
“If only you’d never come to this island...!”
Greatfish’s townsfolk began shouting various things like that. Jasper sneered, seeming to enjoy the show. Lana clenched her fists and tried to suppress a bubbling rage from within. She couldn’t believe they could be saying such awful things at a time like this.
“They have the right idea. All I want you to do is tell me about the zam spell. Then, I can be on my way.” Jasper said, his polite words sounding like venom. “You do know of it, don’t you?”
“Of course we do! But I already told you, I never learned it and we didn’t bring it with us when we left our homeland!” Manolo pleaded.
“Supposing we had brought it, we would have given it to our daughter! I’m telling you, we have nothing for you!” Sofia said.
“Even if you don’t know it personally, you can still tell me where your homeland is located. Then I could go and learn it myself.” Jasper said.
“But if we do that, you’ll just do the same thing to them that you’ve done to us!” Sofia cried.
“Well, yes, naturally. But that shouldn’t matter to you, should it?” Jasper said. “After all, you left that place behind and you’ll never see it again. And I will have no reason to harm anyone there if they cooperate, much like this current little arrangement.”
“There’s no way we can believe that after what you did to poor Oshus!” Manolo said.
“Oh, give it a rest already! Who gives a damn what happens to a bunch of icicles? Just tell him so they can leave!” Margo yelled.
“How can you say something like that?!” Sofia said, aghast.
Jasper seemed to quietly consider something before he continued. “Perhaps I am applying the wrong kind of pressure. How about this, then? Either you tell me where your homeland is, or I will personally drag the two of you with me as I hunt down and kill your daughter.”
“Wha... No! You wouldn’t!” Manolo gasped.
“Yeah, just do that, then, and get out of here!” one of the townsfolk said.
“Hold on, isn’t that a bit much...?” another said.
“So what? It’s probably all her fault these monsters came here, anyway!” someone else added.
“No! Please, no...” Sofia cried. “Why are you doing this to us? Please, just stop...”
“We haven’t done anything wrong! We haven’t done anything to deserve this! All we wanted was to live a peaceful life somewhere our daughter could grow up well...” Manolo said. “Why must this happen to us? Why must this happen to our family?”
“The answer is simple, really.” Jasper said, grinning devilishly. “Because I want everything.”
Lana could stand it no longer. Her teeth were clenched so tightly they could break. Her body was shivering with anger so much that she could have already compromised her position. Inside her heart boiled a righteous anger that couldn't be contained any longer. Jasper had to be stopped. And she would be the one to do it.
“Well? I’m waiting for your answer.” Jasper said.
“Th... The answer is...” Manolo breathed.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Lana yelled, jumping to her feet.
Everyone on the beach below was started. They all craned their necks around to look up at her. A wave of surprise and recognition washed over the villagers. They gazed up at her, baffled, unable to believe their eyes. Her parents were much the same. The expressions on their faces were that of terror and blinding worry; not the kind of faces they deserved to make upon reuniting with their beloved daughter.
And Jasper had the worst expression of all. A serpentine grin spread across his cruel lips. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the daughter herself. How convenient.”
“I told you before, Jasper! You’ll never get what you want ever again!” Lana shouted.
a a a
“Lana jumped out, you guys! Let’s move!” Peeks informed his group.
“Alright. Everyone, stay behind me!” Orca instructed.
“Right... I’ll try not to get in your way...” Lenzo said shakily.
Aamali and Ivan nodded in compliance and steeled their nerves. Cohesively, they each leapt out of the bushes and dashed across the farmland. They could see the town down below, and it was a complete wreck. Buildings were damaged, walls and roofs were torn apart, and smoldering debris dotted the street.
In the center of the town was an old man with white hair and large, bushy eyebrows, chained up to a wooden stake. His face and clothes were soaked in blood, and purple bruises welled up in several places anywhere his skin was exposed. His head hung down and his body was limp, like he was unconscious.
Surrounding this man was a vast number of bokoblins. Twenty, or thirty, or more. It was an intimidating number, but fortunately for the group, they weren’t organized at all. Only a handful were stationed around the old man, some prodding his unconscious body with sticks. The rest were scattered about the town, looting through homes and breaking anything that wasn’t already broken.
There were also a fair number laying waste to the farmlands, tearing out any crops they could find, just for the sake of it. They seemed to be reveling in their plundering. There were a large number of bokoblins and moblins blocking the way down into the inlet where Emilia’s ship was docked. It seemed like it would be difficult to break through there later.
For the moment, they had a singular goal. They had to save Oshus. Rather than taking one of the winding paths down the cliffside, the group simply jumped down. Orca and Ivan leapt on their own, and Lenzo clung helplessly to Aamali as she hovered down. Peeks stayed high in the air above them so he could survey.
Orca and Ivan finished sliding down the cliff, and once their feet hit the grass behind the village, the pirates were alerted to their presence. A small cluster of bokoblins eyed them, grinning fiendishly, like they thought this would be fun for them. It wouldn’t be.
Ivan drew his cutlass, and although he was injured, his blade was able to deftly dance around a bokoblin’s machete. He cut through its arm, and then stabbed it through the chest. It was dead quickly. Similarly, Orca readied his spear and twirled it in a wide forward arc, slicing through three at once. They collapsed into a bloody heap as the two fighters dashed on by.
Those bokoblins had been quite arrogant. They didn’t even bother to raise a ruckus, so the group got to keep the element of surprise for a while longer. It served them well as Aamali swooped down from above after letting Lenzo off behind one of the houses. Her hammer clutched in her talons, she plowed through two bokoblins and crushed their skulls with ease.
As the monsters became agitated, their attention was drawn to Aamali in the sky. This allowed Orca and Ivan to sneak up on the plaza enemies practically unnoticed. The pair cut down a good number of them before the whole enemy group was aware of them.
Bokoblin blood splattered the ground in many directions as Orca took the lead, expertly twirling his spear around. He left many corpses in his wake, making it easier on Ivan to fight with his wounded arm. Aamali’s body count was almost as high as Orca’s. The beasts were utterly unable to reach her as she danced through the air, swinging that hammer around like it was a child’s toy.
It wasn’t long before they were able to reach Oshus in the plaza. That was Lenzo’s cue to come out of hiding. He suppressed several gags as he ran through the field of dead bodies, covering his mouth and trying to look straight ahead. The others had carved a path for him, so he reached Oshus in no time. Orca, Aamali, and Ivan worked on keeping the monsters at bay. They were fairly intimidated by the group without any of their commanding officers around to help them.
“Excuse me? Sir? Can you hear me?” Lenzo called out, trying to wake the old man.
“Mmmm... Hm...?” Oshus stirred.
“Oh, thank goodness. Sir, don’t worry, we’re getting you out of here.” Lenzo said to him as calmly as he could, beginning to untie the chains.
“Young man... I don’t recognize you... Where did you come from?” Oshus asked.
“All of us came here together from Windfall to help. You’re Oshus, right? Do you know Lana? She’s here with us.” he explained.
Upon hearing Lana’s name, Oshus’s eyes widened. “She’s here...? Oh no... She’s in grave danger... We must...”
His words were interrupted by a coughing fit. “Sir, please, your injuries are severe. We need to get you somewhere safe.” Lenzo insisted.
“No... It’s more important... That I...” Oshus began. “Young man, please, you must... Go fetch me something from my home... It’s the only way... I can be of use.”
“What are you talking about? We have to-” Lenzo tried to protest.
“Please... You must listen to me.” Oshus said. “You must bring me the pearl from my home... I am...”
a a a
Lana leapt down from the top of the cliff, using her deku leaf to break her fall. As she soared down, Jasper and his moblins took several steps back. His cronies all readied their spears and swords, laughing amongst themselves.
She touched down between her parents and the pirates. She glanced over her shoulder at them, and a deep longing rose up from her gut. Her parents’ eyes were fixed on her, on the verge of tears. They were completely shocked to see her appear in such a way. Their voices failed them as they looked up at their daughter with trembling lips.
Lana wanted to tell them everything in that moment. She wanted to share the whole story with them, to let them know that everything would be fine, that she’d protect them from the monsters. But, her words failed her, too. She couldn’t bring herself to speak to them. She knew how it had to look; their daughter, who had never held anything bigger than a cutting knife, had appeared before them after a month wielding a sword and bow, confronting a group of dangerous pirates. There was too much explaining that had to be done before that could start making sense.
And so, swallowing all of the words meant for them, she turned away and faced Jasper head on. “You stay away from my family!” she yelled.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. They have the knowledge I want.” he said. “But you, however, are no longer my concern, since you don’t actually know anything. So instead of being my source, you get to be my leverage.”
“Never!” she shouted.
“Hah. How brave. We’ll see how long that lasts.” Jasper motioned with his hand. “Seize her.”
On his command, the moblins behind him charged forward as he slyly stepped away. Lana didn’t hesitate to draw her sword and meet their charge head on. She overheard her mother gasp, and that sent electrifying chills throughout her body, but she didn’t have the time to pay it mind.
Just before coming into contact with the beasts, Lana ducked down. Her head began hurting and her heart tightened up, the signs of an incoming temporal rush. She took advantage of it to nimbly dodge her way in between the first few burly pirates, her sword dancing through their skin on the way.
Before anyone realized how it happened, three moblins collapsed to their knees, clutching their bleeding sides. The gasps from behind grew louder and more numerous. Having her parents and the townsfolk that scorned her so much watch her fight was almost distractingly uncomfortable. She had to bite down on her lip hard to keep focus.
As she passed by the first three moblins, she continued running forward, undaunted. The remaining moblins were caught by surprise, but they didn’t take long to recover. The first one Lana attacked managed to block her strike. Their blades grinded together until it was able to shove her back.
As soon as Lana’s foot hit the sand again, she lunged forward, dipping under the arc of another moblin’s spear. Her sword pierced through that first moblin’s chest, and as she withdrew it, she had to jump back over another spear sweep. Quickly clutching the edges of her deku leaf, she took to the air before she could be surrounded.
Once she was high enough, she let go of the edges, initiating another temporal rush. She hurriedly sheathed her sword and drew her bow, firing down at two of the moblins before she could no longer bear the constriction on her heart. Once again, to everyone else’s eyes, Lana appeared to be moving blindingly fast. The moblins had arrows in their skulls before they could blink.
“What in the world...” one of the townsfolk said.
“Since when could Lana fight? There’s no way this is real...” Renny said, unable to process what he was seeing.
“Lana... My gull...!” Manolo said.
“Is this really our little girl...?” Sofia said.
Hearing those words finally managed to break through Lana’s front. She grimaced, her heart feeling like it was being split apart. As she momentarily lost focus, one of the moblins prepared to swat her down as she returned to the ground.
Quickly getting her head back in the game, Lana angled her body and grabbed the edges of her deku leaf again. With a quick flap of her arms, she sailed through an opening between two moblins, spinning around and landing on her feet. She skidded to a stop behind them and drew her sword once more.
Lana kicked down on the ground as hard as she could, springing forward and slashing into the back of a moblin before it could fully turn around. She had to jump back again as another moblin began attacking, and its spear managed to slash across her cheek.
“No! Please, no!” Sofia yelled.
“We’ll give you whatever you want, just stop this! Please, not our daughter! Anything but that!” Manolo begged.
“That all depends on her, you know.” Jasper said as he calmly watched the battle unfold from the sidelines.
Lana quickly brushed the cut on her cheek with her sleeve before charging forward again. She leapt aside from another moblin’s spear attack. Her side was grazed a little, but she was able to maintain her balance as she lunged forward again and cut through the beast.
By then, another moblin had managed to get behind her. It swung its sword in a deadly arc. She barely managed to duck under it in time. Lana spun on her heel at that low height, slashing across its stomach. She then rolled to the side, avoiding another moblin bringing its spear down over her head. When she got back to her feet, she had to jump back to dodge a sword strike yet again.
“Please... I’m begging you... No more...” Sofia sobbed.
“Lana... Please, stop this! You must run! We’ll be fine, just please...!” Manolo shouted desperately.
“How about it, Lana? Ready to give in yet? It seems like your dear parents are at their wits’ end.” Jasper laughed.
Lana gritted her teeth as she ducked under another sword strike. She leapt over a sweeping spear and swung her blade down on a moblin twice her height. She cut through its flesh and leapt aside again as still another moblin moved in to strike her.
Her parents’ pleas were rattling around in her head, as were the hushed words of the spectators watching her battle. All those eyes were locked onto her, full of disbelief and denial. Meanwhile, Jasper watched the bloody struggle with a satisfied sneer. That smug expression did nothing but fan the flames of anger inside her further.
Just as Lana’s feet hit the ground again, she clenched her fists and stomped down as hard as she could. “DON’T YOU DARE GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
The crowd of captured townsfolk were stunned silent. Even her parents had never heard her shout like that. The moblins halted from the surprise of her yelling so suddenly. Jasper’s expression seemed to grow annoyed.
“Don’t ever let him have his way!” Lana continued to yell. “As long as you don’t give in, he won’t win! I swear to you, I’m going to put an end to him and save every last one of you! So don’t you dare despair! I am not losing to a despicable, cowardly, craven beast like him! Not now, not ever!”
Her rousing speech went unanswered, but not for a lack of caring. Tears poured from her parents eyes as they continued watching their daughter fight. The people of Greatfish Isle, who had once written Lana and her family off, watched her with awe and amazement. Jasper’s expression turned into a scowl. There weren’t many moblins left standing. The tide was beginning to turn.
a a a
“Jeez, what the heck is Lenzo even doing right now?” Orca complained as he cut down another row of bokoblins.
“I don’t know, but he said it was important, so let’s believe in him!” Aamali said.
“I just hope he hurries the hell up...” Ivan groaned.
The group had defeated many bokoblins. The street’s pavement was beginning to stain with a dull red. There were so many corpses, there wasn’t much room to stand anymore. Luckily, they’d only had to fight weak green bokoblins, but who knew when the more powerful monsters would make an appearance.
“There’s a whole mess of moblins and stalfos and even darknuts on those ships blocking the harbor...” Peeks reported. “It looks like they might start moving soon!”
“Ugh! Come on, Lenzo!” Orca yelled.
Right on cue, Lenzo came bursting out from a ruined house a ways up the street. He carried a cloth satchel in his arms as he hurriedly ran back to rejoin the group in the center of the town. Oshus awaited him there, sitting on the ground and resting as much as he could.
“Sir! I brought it!” Lenzo said, completely out of breath. “Is this what you needed?”
“Yes, that should be it. Quickly, bring it to me.” Oshus said in a commanding voice.
The closer Lenzo got to the old man, the more the satchel began glowing; or rather, what was inside of it did. He passed it on to Oshus as Orca and the others continued fighting off the monsters. When the contents of the bag were removed, it presented itself as a large, beautiful pearl.
It was bright blue in color, with a symbol that seemed reminiscent of the Rito crest. This fact didn’t go unnoticed by Aamali, who eyed it curiously. She was certain she’d seen a red pearl just like that one back home. In Oshus’s hands, its glowing blue sheen grew brighter than ever.
“It is time...” he began. “Time for me to return to the way I am supposed to be... This borrowed form has served me long enough. I am no longer needed this way. I must return... I must...”
“Return... So are you really...?” Lenzo breathed.
“Huh? Really what?” Aamali called back.
“Guys, the big monsters are starting to move!” Peeks warned.
“That means we gotta move, too! What in the hell is going on over there, Lenzo?” Orca yelled.
“It is time!” Oshus said again.
His next words were unintelligible to everyone present except Aamali and Peeks. When they heard him speak ancient hylian, their jaws dropped. However, that was the least of the surprises, as Oshus’s body began glowing the same shade of blue as the pearl he held in his arms.
After a moment of quiet suspense, his body seemed to dissolve into blue particles. These sparks swirled around in a big circular motion, gathering over the heads of Lenzo and his allies and even stretching out over the monsters. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sight, mouths hanging agape, utterly speechless.
The blue particles began rapidly flowing like water across the town, flying out toward the ocean. They condensed high above one of the pirate ships in the harbor, and then began rapidly expanding and taking on a new, massive form.
What these particles became seemed like a gigantic, blueish-black angler fish. A stalk grew from its head, with a brightly-glowing lantern hanging from it like a piercing. Large orange eyes and red flared markings where its nostrils should be sat atop thick blue lips. The creature was titanic in size, dwarfing the ship below it.
The creature, now fully reformed, was once again bound by the laws of gravity. It quickly plummeted down, crushing the pirate ship beneath its full weight. The monsters on board cried out in terror as their bodies were flattened or sent flying into the sea. An enormous wave rose up from the great splash, pushing the other two pirate ships away from the harbor.
No one could say anything about the sight. It defied all explanation, even for Lenzo, Aamali, and Peeks, who actually knew what was going on. The remaining bokoblins in town looked from the harbor, to the group in front of them, and back. In a panic, they turned tail and ran, trying to see if they could save any of their friends from drowning by the docks. Meanwhile, the group of brave fighters looked around at each other, unsure of what to do next.
Their answer came from the voice of a panicked Peeks. “Oh no! Guys, hurry! Lana’s in big trouble!”
a a a
As the last body hit the sand with a splatter, Lana stood before Jasper, panting heavily. Blood seeped from numerous cuts across her cheeks, her arms, and her stomach, but she had stood strong and defeated every single moblin that was thrown at her. She felt mildly woozy, and it was difficult for her to stand up straight, but her focus had been able to return in full force.
Jasper clucked his tongue, placing his face in the palm of his hand. “Unbelievable. I gave them all one job to do. What a bunch of worthless dregs. I should thank you for taking out the trash, I suppose.”
“That’s enough out of you. You’re next. I won’t let you escape this time.” Lana rasped.
Manolo and Sofia looked like they wanted to speak, but they didn’t. Perhaps they were in too much disbelief, or perhaps their daughter’s words had gotten through to them. Whatever the case, they found themselves unable to act. Meanwhile, the crowd of villagers behind them chattered amongst themselves.
“She killed every last one of them... What the heck happened to her since she’s been gone?” one of the villagers said.
“It hasn’t even been a whole month... How on earth...?” said another.
“I can’t believe it... That was really... amazing.” said another still.
Amazing. She’d gone and said the one word none of them seemed to want to say. After everything they’d said about the girl, she had come in and saved the day. She fought tooth and nail for their lives right after they had been disparaging her and her family. Some of them didn’t really want to admit it and agree that she was amazing, and others just looked ashamed of themselves. There were a lot of mixed emotions in that crowd.
However, there was one obstacle remaining before they were truly safe. That one obstacle happened to be the biggest of them all. The one and only Pirate King, Jasper.
“I suppose if you want something done, you must truly do it yourself.” he said lackadaisically.
He rolled his shoulders and eyed Lana menacingly. He was not encased in a heavy suit of armor like he had been when they fought in the Forsaken Fortress. His tunic was made of a light brown leather, fitted with simple steel plating across the important bits. He still carried a large buckler on his left arm, but he sported a broadsword at his waist and a massive axe on his back. He seemed to ditch the overwhelming defense for a more practical approach this time.
Lana held her sword at the ready, watching him nervously. Her eyes darted all around his body, watching for sudden movements, ready to react to anything. That hypervigilance saved her life as he made his first move.
As soon as Jasper took a step forward, he was on her in an instant. He was moving so much faster than before that it nearly threw Lana off. He stepped into a drawing stance with the sword at his waist, pulling it into a wide arc right out of its sheath. Lana leapt backward, bending out of the way and flipping over in the air.
Her feet touched back down at the same time as Jasper’s next move. He was already right in front of her again. She had to duck down low, and as she did, she readied herself to lunge forward. As the tip of her sword shot out, aimed to pierce through his chest, Jasper leapt to the side and thrusted his shield arm forward.
He bashed her arm with his buckler, forcing Lana to stumble over. When she crumpled down in pain, he lifted his sword up, ready to swing it down on her. Sofia started to scream, but Lana’s next move was already in action.
Such a threatening situation was just what she needed to start up another temporal rush. Jasper’s blade seemed to slow down, allowing her to roll back to her feet, safely out of the way. Before she let the rush end, she lunged forward again. Her senses returned to normal before her sword met its mark.
Jasper quickly lurched back, but not without being grazed across his chest. Unfortunately, Lana’s sword merely slid across his armor plating. There was no damage this time. Lana cursed herself for being unable to hold that temporal rush any longer as she jumped back before Jasper had fully recovered.
Now a good distance away, Lana used her deku leaf to quickly take to the skies again. She intended to shoot Jasper with her bow from midair like she had done to the moblins earlier. However, he seemed to predict this. The moment she flew up, he raised his buckler above his head.
Lana was already in the midst of initiating another temporal rush when he did this. It was too late to back out of it. Relenting, she drew her bow and pulled out an ice arrow. She still had three left of both types of enchanted arrows, so she decided this was the time to use them. She targeted the buckler on his arm, hoping the cold would warp the metal and peel his skin.
When the ice arrow made impact, she was already out of her rush with a splitting headache. The freezing tip exploded into a shower of ice once it hit the shield, violently forcing it off Jasper’s arm and bending his limb painfully as it went. The brute cried out in pain and glared hard at Lana as she came back down to the ground.
In the middle of her fall, Lana drew her sword again, preparing to slam it down on Jasper’s head. He raised his own sword to counter her, and their blades met with a flurry of sparks. Lana was able to vault over him from this position, and as she landed behind him, she prepared to turn into another slash. He began turning around to meet her the same way.
Before they could, an ear-shattering noise forced them both to stumble.
“What in blazes?!” Jasper gasped, staring at the harbor.
Lana couldn’t resist turning away from him to see for herself what was going on. A huge wave erupted from the place a pirate ship had once been. It was completely destroyed beneath the weight of... something. She stared at it intensely, trying to figure out what it was.
It was some kind of gigantic creature. It reminded her of an angler fish, whatever it was. Yet, something was odd. It was her first time seeing it, but she couldn’t help but feel as though it was familiar. The longer she looked, the more she was able to put it together. She knew exactly who that creature was. She’d known him all her life.
“Curses... The Great Spirit Jabun has shown himself at last, has he?” Jasper growled.
- Great Spirit Jabun? No... But... That’s impossible. There’s no way... I mean, that’s...
“Oshus... is Jabun?” Lana said, her mind struggling to make sense of the revelation.
“Lana, watch out!” Manolo shouted.
“Lana, no!” Aamali’s voice called out as she arrived.
“Wh-”
Seething pain erupted throughout Lana’s head as she hit the wet sand in a daze. Her mind went foggy. Perhaps the shock of seeing Oshus reveal himself as Jabun made it harder for her senses to return to her, but when they did, she found herself laying on the ground, with the tip of Jasper’s sword inches from her heart.
“No! Lana!” Sofia screamed.
“Moment of truth. Do I get what I want, or do you lose your daughter forever?” Jasper bellowed.
“Lana, I’m coming!” Aamali called out desperately.
But she was too far out. There was no way she could get there in time. Jasper, seeming unsatisfied by the whole situation, scoffed. He turned away from Manolo and Sofia, gazing down at Lana with eyes full of hatred. In those eyes, she could see he’d made his choice.
He plunged his sword down into her chest. She felt the tip of the blade pierce her skin, and the intense pain that followed had all but confirmed it. She was now dead. That was it. That was the end of her adventure. She died trying to save her parents, without ever being able to truly settle anything. She never got to tell them her stories, she never got to introduce them to her friends, and most of all, she never got to find her motherland like she always wanted. What an unsatisfying way to die. But what could she do about it? That was it.
Unless... it wasn’t?
Why wasn’t she dead yet? How could she still be thinking these things? He’d stabbed her through the heart. People don’t live when they get stabbed through their hearts. So why did she?
She warily opened her eyes, and was surprised to see a purple barrier obscuring her vision. Jasper’s face, contorted in shock, could be seen on the other side of it. Taking another good look, she was able to deduce that this purple barrier had fully deflected Jasper’s sword at the last second, before it had pierced her heart.
“What...? No... It can’t be...!” Jasper’s voice rumbled.
“Lana?! What in the world is that?” Aamali exclaimed.
Orca, Lenzo, Ivan, and Peeks, who had also just arrived, were as shocked as everyone else there. Everyone, Lana included, stared dumbfounded at the mysterious purple veil enclosing her from harm. All but one person.
Sofia smiled, looking relieved. “Thank goodness... It worked, after all.”
Manolo didn’t seem to share his wife’s clear-headedness. “Sofia...? You didn’t...”
“YOU LIED TO ME!” Jasper howled.
“I did not. I told you, if we had brought the zam spell with us, we would have given it to our daughter. And that’s just what I did.” Sofia said proudly.
“Don’t you ever underestimate a mother’s love for her child!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
What Matters Most
What Matters Most
The cavalry was on its way. After regaining her determination, Lana set out for Greatfish Isle with her friends Lenzo, Orca, Peeks, and Aamali in tow. The island was several hours away from Windfall, so in order to speed things up, Lana had the idea to once again borrow the Wind Waker from the King of Red Lions.
Lana rode with Peeks on King, while Orca gave Lenzo and Aamali a lift on his own boat. The Wind Waker was used to conduct bursts of wind to fill their sails, explosively boosting their speed. Orca tied their bows together with a rope so they remained side by side all the way. They were making such good time, they expected to arrive within two hours.
However, who could say what the state of Greatfish Isle would be when they arrived? In order to prepare, Lana thought it best to come up with a plan of action. Jasper and his crew had to be stopped, but the question of how to stop them and save everyone remained.
“So you haven’t been able to reach Emilia again?” Aamali asked.
“No... There’s no response from the gossip stone anymore.” Lana said.
“That’s not a good sign... And it’s bad news for us, since we can’t get a handle on the situation from here otherwise.” Lenzo said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to come bursting in without knowing anything. We need to figure out what’s going on first.” Lana said.
“Leave that to me! When we get close, I can fly up and survey the island without being seen!” Peeks asserted.
“Yeah, you’re a lot smaller than me. I’d be spotted in no time.” Aamali agreed.
“Judging from that Emilia chick’s message, they’re probably already fighting.” Orca said. “But since she’s asking for help, I think we can assume she’s having trouble. Do you think they’d lose before we arrive, Lana?”
“... I want to say no, but this is Jasper we’re talking about. He’s not going to fight fair, and we don’t know what kind of crew he’s got with him. He’s had almost ten days to build a new one, so I don’t know...” she said.
“That normally wouldn’t be enough time to do anything, but if he’s as crafty as you say, who knows...” Lenzo said. “No matter what’s going on, we need to be careful. I think it’d help if we had a lay of the land.”
“Yeah, good point. I know it well, since I grew up there, so let me explain.” Lana began. She borrowed parchment from Orca and began drafting up a simple map of the island.
Greatfish Isle truly wasn’t very big. At the northern point, there was the cove that housed the island’s guardian deity, Jabun. Supposedly, he was one of the three Great Spirits. South of that was the main settlement called Goponga Village. Its main road cut through the middle, and there was also a section of it that ran perpendicular out to the west, where the harbor could be found. There were many fishing boats there. Lana’s home was even further south of the village, on the southwestern tip of the island.
The whole eastern half of the island was set atop a large hill, overlooking the village. The hilltops were used to grow grains and vegetables to supplement the seafood caught by the fishermen. On the easternmost shore, below the cliffs, was an inlet with a secluded beach. The sandy shoreline narrowly encircled the entire island, but the northern stretches of beach were very rocky.
And that was Greatfish Isle in a nutshell. After drawing up the map and marking off the important points, Lana handed it back across to Orca’s boat, and he and the others studied it carefully while she got back to conducting the wind.
“Seems to me like we should try and sneak around to that secluded beach behind the hills.” Orca suggested.
“Assuming it’s not under watch, that would be an excellent place to start from. We’d have plenty of cover.” Lenzo agreed.
“The rocks in the north near Jabun’s cove would also be a good place, if that doesn’t work out.” Lana said.
“Now, what do we do once we land...” Aamali wondered. “I guess that depends on what we find when we get there. It’s difficult to make plans without any information.”
“Indeed. Perhaps we should wait and see the situation for ourselves before we continue.” Lenzo said.
“Just leave that part to me!” Peeks said.
Lana’s heart raced with anxiety as the group continued to sail on. What if they arrived and everyone was already dead? She’d never forgive herself for as long as she lived. Even if the townsfolk had never treated her or her family well, she didn’t want to see them slaughtered by pirates.
She tried to remain calm. Thinking about it rationally, the whole reason Jasper attacked was likely so he could capture her parents and press them for information, or otherwise lure Lana into a trap. He wouldn’t outright kill them. But then... If that was his plan, how did he know that she was from Greatfish?
- I don’t have all the pieces to this yet. Thinking about this won’t do me any good without the right information. I have to see for myself. I have to put a stop to this...
* * *
Greatfish Isle was within their sights. The group waited with bated breath until they could see Peeks returning to them in the air. The little korok was finished scouting. If he had a face, it was hidden behind his leaf mask, so Lana couldn’t read any expressions he might have worn about what he’d seen.
“Guys... It doesn’t look good.” he said when he arrived.
Those words sent a fierce tremor through Lana’s body. She wanted to gag, and her heart began painfully beating against her chest. Opening with a sentence like that didn’t bode well at all.
“What did you see?” Orca asked.
“It looks like... Jasper’s crew has already won. The island is under their control.” he announced sadly.
Lana stopped breathing for a moment. Part of her wanted to scream, but she knew it wasn’t the time for that. She hadn’t heard the whole story yet, anyway. Perhaps they could still do something.
“Oh no... Are we too late?” Aamali asked.
“Are the villagers okay? And Emilia’s crew?” Lana added.
“From what I saw, most of the villagers are being rounded up in that cove in the north. The monsters have three big pirate ships blocking the harbor. There’s another pirate ship in the eastern inlet, and there are human pirates being held captive on it.” Peeks explained.
Lana took in this information carefully. “So Emilia’s crew is in the eastern inlet... And the townsfolk are in the northern cove. So that means we need to go to the rocky beach in the north. It’s close to the cove, so we should be able to listen in on what’s happening.” she surmised.
“If Emilia got beaten, but is held captive, then she’s still alive. Sounds like the villagers are still alive, too. That’s a relief.” Lenzo said.
“Yeah, but there’s probably over a hundred monsters there.” Peeks said. “Those odds are really discouraging...”
“Yeah, that’s gonna be tough for just the five of us. Especially when only three of us can fight.” Orca said, rubbing the back of his neck. “No matter how you slice it, we’re at a massive disadvantage.”
“Let’s just get to the island for now.” Lana said. “I’m sure a solution will present itself.”
She was desperate to see the situation for herself. Her parents were likely among the townsfolk being rounded up. They were her main concern, since they were probably Jasper’s true aim. She tried to have faith that he wouldn’t kill them without getting the information about her homeland that he wanted.
The ragtag team of friends began moving again, Lana using the Wind Waker to push their boats along to the shoreline. The closer the island became, the more homesick Lana felt. She’d been gone for almost a month. She never expected to be returning like this, much less at all. Perhaps it was an inappropriate thing to wonder given the circumstances, but she found herself hoping that everyone was doing well.
As the group pulled up on the shore, their eyes darted around, hoping that there weren’t any monster pirates prowling the area. The rocky section of the beach seemed safe enough. Working together, they dragged Orca’s boat up onto the beach and managed to hide it behind some large rocks. It was safely out of sight, and Peeks used his deku leaf to erase any evidence that they’d been there from the sands.
“Lana.” King’s voice quietly called out to her.
“What’s up?” she asked, joining him on the shoreline.
“I don’t have to warn you to be cautious or to be safe, because I know you will. However, I have some advice.” he began. “Seek out the Great Jabun. As a spirit of the ocean, he will surely be able to aid you.”
“Alright. Thank you. And I promise I’ll be safe. We’ll see each other again when this is over.” Lana said, trying her best to give him a brave smile.
King returned her smile, his wooden eyes full of confidence and faith. With that, he vanished into thin air. It came as quite the surprise for Lana, but she tried to write it off as more of his mysterious, magical abilities that he was always so secretive about. King would be out of harm’s way, so she needed to focus on the fight ahead.
Behind the rocks at the base of the cliff, the group quietly agreed they should climb up and survey the cove from above. Peeks went up first to make sure it was safe, and he signaled to them that it was.
Aamali revealed her wings and gave Orca a lift up, with him holding onto her legs. Similarly, Lana gave Lenzo a lift. He wrapped his arms around her, which was a bit awkward with how much taller he was than her. Lana lifted them both off the ground with a few flaps of her deku leaf, and Lenzo tried his best not to make a sound. It was perhaps a little scary for him to fly.
They were able to reach the top of the cliff without much fuss, and they were shielded from view by brush and trees. The hilltop around Jabun’s cove was mostly a natural, wooded area. The farmland started not too far past there. They fortunately didn’t need to go that far out.
As they crept through the greenery toward the edge of the cliff overlooking the cove, the group was ambushed. A blade darted out of the grass at Aamali, who couldn’t hold in a yelp as she jumped back. Lana drew her sword and motioned for the others to stand back. Aamali with her hammer and Orca with his spear were too conspicuous to fight.
Luckily for them, the fight ended there. “What? Oh, sorry, I thought you were more monsters.”
The blade’s owner was a jumpy young man. Lana recognized him from Emilia’s crew. If she recalled right, his name was Ivan. She’d seen him manning the sails before. She shared a few drinks with him and Renazo the night of their victory in the Forsaken Fortress. He seemed to have injured one of his arms, and his forehead was bleeding quite a bit, too.
“Oh! Lana! It’s really you!” Ivan said once he realized who was in front of him. “The captain said she’d called you... I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Yeah, I’m here. These are my friends.” she said, looking back at her little group of allies.
“Sorry, sorry... I just saw ‘not human’ and attacked on impulse... I apologize, miss Rito.” he said ashamedly.
“Well that’s awfully rude... But now’s not the time for that. Can you tell us what happened?” Aamali said.
“Yes, we need to understand the situation before we can decide how to act.” Lenzo said.
“Right, okay. Listen up.” Ivan began. “First, I need to apologize to you, Lana. This is all our fault. We came here to check on your parents, and apparently, Jasper was watching us. That’s how he found out about your home. At least, that’s what the captain assumed had happened.”
“So that’s it... I was wondering how he could have found out.” Lana said, feeling a dark lump form in her throat. “Why did she want to check on them?”
“She recalled that you said you were from Greatfish when you two first met, and she noticed that Jasper wanted to capture you alive really badly. She put two and two together and figured you had something he wanted. She thought that checking on your parents would be a good way to figure out what that was so she could get the upper hand on him.” Ivan explained.
“I guess that backfired pretty bad, huh?” Orca said.
“You could say that...” Ivan said. “Before we came here, we investigated Star Island, because when he fled the fort, that’s where it looked like he was heading. It’s usually crawling with monsters there, but when we arrived, it was empty. I think that’s how he built up his new crew.”
“That’s another mystery solved, then.” Lenzo said. “We know what he’s after, so the question is, how can we take advantage of that to save everyone...”
Lana had a small idea about that, but she kept quiet for the moment. It wasn’t an idea that would be well-received by the others. “Are all of the townsfolk being held in the cove up ahead?” she asked.
“Most of them. The rest of my crew is imprisoned on our own ship, in a little inlet on the eastern side of the island. Our captain is there, too... I was the only one who escaped capture.” Ivan said, sounding disappointed in himself.
- I can’t believe even Emilia was defeated... This situation is really not in our favor.
“Wait... Most of them?” Lenzo pointed out. “Is someone unaccounted for?”
“Actually, uh... Those pirate bastards strung up an old man in the center of the town. He was their example because he stood up to them after our crew was beaten.” Ivan said.
Lana sharply inhaled. There was only one elderly man on the island. It could only have been...
“Oshus... No...” she breathed.
“He’s still alive. They beat him pretty bad, but they didn’t kill him.” Ivan assured her.
Lana clenched her fists tightly. Her dear friend Oshus had to endure something horrible, and it was all her fault for failing to kill Jasper in the first place. She had to make this right, no matter what. At last, she told her allies about her plan.
“Everyone, listen. I want us to split into two groups.” Lana started to explain. “I want you guys to go to the town and rescue Oshus. Get him somewhere safe, and then head over to Emilia’s ship to free her and the rest of her crew. After that, we’ll be able to stand a chance against the monster horde if we work together.”
“That sounds good, but... What will you be doing?” Aamali asked.
Lenzo stared at her hard. He seemed to guess what she was thinking already. “You aren’t going to say you’ll face Jasper alone, are you?” he asked.
Lana bit her lip. “That’s my plan, yes.”
“What? Lana, no! That’s too dangerous!” Peeks protested.
“Come on, Lana. At least take one of us with you. Even you should know that’s a suicidal plan.” Orca said.
“No. I can’t risk you guys getting captured, too. He’ll try to use you against me like the rest of the hostages.” Lana said. “He won’t kill me. He wants to use me. So it’s not suicidal. Besides, there’s probably a bunch of pirates in the village. The more of you there are, the better.”
“But... I really don’t like this. What if you’re wrong and he doesn’t need you anymore because he has your parents?” Aamali worried.
That thought did occur to Lana already, but she stood her ground. “Peeks can keep an eye on me from the air, and then you can fly over and save me, Aamali. I trust you guys. I know you can pull that off.” she insisted.
The group didn’t look entirely convinced, so Ivan added in his opinion. “I think her plan is good. Attacking Jasper with a large force would just put the hostages in danger. She’s what he wants, so this is probably for the best.” he said.
After several moments of silent contemplation, Lenzo sighed. “Alright, fine. I’ve watched you overcome an impossible situation before, Lana, so I have faith you can do it again.” he said.
“Yeah, I’ve seen that, too!” Peeks said. “I’m scared for you, so I’ll just have to watch over you. I promise you can count on me!”
“You’re crazy, Lana, but you’re the good kind of crazy... I want to trust you. So I will.” Aamali said.
Orca glared at her with his arms crossed. “I’m not gonna lose my student a second time, got it?” he said.
Lana giggled upon hearing that. “Got it. I won’t let you down, Master Orca. And everyone, thank you. Please help my friend.” she said. “Peeks, keep an eye on me, okay? When I reveal myself to Jasper is when you guys should move to rescue Oshus. Let them know when that is.”
The group nodded and, with Ivan in tow, they began to head in the direction of the village. Aamali looked back at Lana one more time, the concern written all over her face. All Lana could do was offer her a weak smile before she continued on through the brush toward the edge of the cliff. Oshus’s fate was in the hands of her friends, and the rest of the villagers, including her parents, were in her own.
As Lana approached the cove, she began to hear voices. The closer she got, the more she recognized them.
“Please, just let us go already!” That sounded like Margo, the woman who sold leather goods.
“Just get lost! We didn’t do anything to you guys!” That sounded like Renny, her childhood bully.
“Good people, be at ease. There is only one thing I want, and only you can give it to me. You will not be harmed if you cooperate.”
That sickeningly sweet voice was unmistakably Jasper’s. Acid stung Lana’s throat as she crept closer and closer, crouching down on her stomach as she stayed low. Her heartbeat only grew faster, and all of her anxieties came to life when she was able to see into the cove.
She found herself looking down from directly above the large stone wall that supposedly blocked off the cave where Jabun resided. It hadn’t been damaged. Directly in front of that on the beach, the townsfolk sat tied up in chains. Seeing all of their familiar faces twisted into fear sent chills down her spine. And then, her heart froze when she saw her parents.
An indescribable feeling of terror and guilt welled up in Lana’s throat. Her Papa and Mama were seated at the front of the group, and Jasper stood looming over the both of him. Behind him waited a small army of at least ten moblins. Jasper carried himself with an air of importance, his arms behind his back.
“You two are Lana’s mother and father, aren’t you?” he said to them. “You must be. She’s the spitting image of you.”
“How... How do you know our daughter? What did you do to her, you monster!” her Papa, Manolo, yelled.
“You should be asking what she has done to me. She almost killed me, you know.” he said.
“Lies! Our daughter could never... She’s a gentle girl! A good girl who wouldn’t do anyone wrong! How could she be mixed up with all these pirates? I don’t believe it!” her Mama, Sofia, wailed.
Lana’s heart wrenched even more hearing her mother cry like that. It took all of her self control to not leap down immediately. Her skin clammed up and her teeth began grinding. She needed to find an opening to jump in, and fast.
“Just tell him what he wants to hear so he’ll leave us alone, already!”
“You damn icicles! This is all your fault!”
“If only you’d never come to this island...!”
Greatfish’s townsfolk began shouting various things like that. Jasper sneered, seeming to enjoy the show. Lana clenched her fists and tried to suppress a bubbling rage from within. She couldn’t believe they could be saying such awful things at a time like this.
“They have the right idea. All I want you to do is tell me about the zam spell. Then, I can be on my way.” Jasper said, his polite words sounding like venom. “You do know of it, don’t you?”
“Of course we do! But I already told you, I never learned it and we didn’t bring it with us when we left our homeland!” Manolo pleaded.
“Supposing we had brought it, we would have given it to our daughter! I’m telling you, we have nothing for you!” Sofia said.
“Even if you don’t know it personally, you can still tell me where your homeland is located. Then I could go and learn it myself.” Jasper said.
“But if we do that, you’ll just do the same thing to them that you’ve done to us!” Sofia cried.
“Well, yes, naturally. But that shouldn’t matter to you, should it?” Jasper said. “After all, you left that place behind and you’ll never see it again. And I will have no reason to harm anyone there if they cooperate, much like this current little arrangement.”
“There’s no way we can believe that after what you did to poor Oshus!” Manolo said.
“Oh, give it a rest already! Who gives a damn what happens to a bunch of icicles? Just tell him so they can leave!” Margo yelled.
“How can you say something like that?!” Sofia said, aghast.
Jasper seemed to quietly consider something before he continued. “Perhaps I am applying the wrong kind of pressure. How about this, then? Either you tell me where your homeland is, or I will personally drag the two of you with me as I hunt down and kill your daughter.”
“Wha... No! You wouldn’t!” Manolo gasped.
“Yeah, just do that, then, and get out of here!” one of the townsfolk said.
“Hold on, isn’t that a bit much...?” another said.
“So what? It’s probably all her fault these monsters came here, anyway!” someone else added.
“No! Please, no...” Sofia cried. “Why are you doing this to us? Please, just stop...”
“We haven’t done anything wrong! We haven’t done anything to deserve this! All we wanted was to live a peaceful life somewhere our daughter could grow up well...” Manolo said. “Why must this happen to us? Why must this happen to our family?”
“The answer is simple, really.” Jasper said, grinning devilishly. “Because I want everything.”
Lana could stand it no longer. Her teeth were clenched so tightly they could break. Her body was shivering with anger so much that she could have already compromised her position. Inside her heart boiled a righteous anger that couldn't be contained any longer. Jasper had to be stopped. And she would be the one to do it.
“Well? I’m waiting for your answer.” Jasper said.
“Th... The answer is...” Manolo breathed.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Lana yelled, jumping to her feet.
Everyone on the beach below was started. They all craned their necks around to look up at her. A wave of surprise and recognition washed over the villagers. They gazed up at her, baffled, unable to believe their eyes. Her parents were much the same. The expressions on their faces were that of terror and blinding worry; not the kind of faces they deserved to make upon reuniting with their beloved daughter.
And Jasper had the worst expression of all. A serpentine grin spread across his cruel lips. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the daughter herself. How convenient.”
“I told you before, Jasper! You’ll never get what you want ever again!” Lana shouted.
“Lana jumped out, you guys! Let’s move!” Peeks informed his group.
“Alright. Everyone, stay behind me!” Orca instructed.
“Right... I’ll try not to get in your way...” Lenzo said shakily.
Aamali and Ivan nodded in compliance and steeled their nerves. Cohesively, they each leapt out of the bushes and dashed across the farmland. They could see the town down below, and it was a complete wreck. Buildings were damaged, walls and roofs were torn apart, and smoldering debris dotted the street.
In the center of the town was an old man with white hair and large, bushy eyebrows, chained up to a wooden stake. His face and clothes were soaked in blood, and purple bruises welled up in several places anywhere his skin was exposed. His head hung down and his body was limp, like he was unconscious.
Surrounding this man was a vast number of bokoblins. Twenty, or thirty, or more. It was an intimidating number, but fortunately for the group, they weren’t organized at all. Only a handful were stationed around the old man, some prodding his unconscious body with sticks. The rest were scattered about the town, looting through homes and breaking anything that wasn’t already broken.
There were also a fair number laying waste to the farmlands, tearing out any crops they could find, just for the sake of it. They seemed to be reveling in their plundering. There were a large number of bokoblins and moblins blocking the way down into the inlet where Emilia’s ship was docked. It seemed like it would be difficult to break through there later.
For the moment, they had a singular goal. They had to save Oshus. Rather than taking one of the winding paths down the cliffside, the group simply jumped down. Orca and Ivan leapt on their own, and Lenzo clung helplessly to Aamali as she hovered down. Peeks stayed high in the air above them so he could survey.
Orca and Ivan finished sliding down the cliff, and once their feet hit the grass behind the village, the pirates were alerted to their presence. A small cluster of bokoblins eyed them, grinning fiendishly, like they thought this would be fun for them. It wouldn’t be.
Ivan drew his cutlass, and although he was injured, his blade was able to deftly dance around a bokoblin’s machete. He cut through its arm, and then stabbed it through the chest. It was dead quickly. Similarly, Orca readied his spear and twirled it in a wide forward arc, slicing through three at once. They collapsed into a bloody heap as the two fighters dashed on by.
Those bokoblins had been quite arrogant. They didn’t even bother to raise a ruckus, so the group got to keep the element of surprise for a while longer. It served them well as Aamali swooped down from above after letting Lenzo off behind one of the houses. Her hammer clutched in her talons, she plowed through two bokoblins and crushed their skulls with ease.
As the monsters became agitated, their attention was drawn to Aamali in the sky. This allowed Orca and Ivan to sneak up on the plaza enemies practically unnoticed. The pair cut down a good number of them before the whole enemy group was aware of them.
Bokoblin blood splattered the ground in many directions as Orca took the lead, expertly twirling his spear around. He left many corpses in his wake, making it easier on Ivan to fight with his wounded arm. Aamali’s body count was almost as high as Orca’s. The beasts were utterly unable to reach her as she danced through the air, swinging that hammer around like it was a child’s toy.
It wasn’t long before they were able to reach Oshus in the plaza. That was Lenzo’s cue to come out of hiding. He suppressed several gags as he ran through the field of dead bodies, covering his mouth and trying to look straight ahead. The others had carved a path for him, so he reached Oshus in no time. Orca, Aamali, and Ivan worked on keeping the monsters at bay. They were fairly intimidated by the group without any of their commanding officers around to help them.
“Excuse me? Sir? Can you hear me?” Lenzo called out, trying to wake the old man.
“Mmmm... Hm...?” Oshus stirred.
“Oh, thank goodness. Sir, don’t worry, we’re getting you out of here.” Lenzo said to him as calmly as he could, beginning to untie the chains.
“Young man... I don’t recognize you... Where did you come from?” Oshus asked.
“All of us came here together from Windfall to help. You’re Oshus, right? Do you know Lana? She’s here with us.” he explained.
Upon hearing Lana’s name, Oshus’s eyes widened. “She’s here...? Oh no... She’s in grave danger... We must...”
His words were interrupted by a coughing fit. “Sir, please, your injuries are severe. We need to get you somewhere safe.” Lenzo insisted.
“No... It’s more important... That I...” Oshus began. “Young man, please, you must... Go fetch me something from my home... It’s the only way... I can be of use.”
“What are you talking about? We have to-” Lenzo tried to protest.
“Please... You must listen to me.” Oshus said. “You must bring me the pearl from my home... I am...”
Lana leapt down from the top of the cliff, using her deku leaf to break her fall. As she soared down, Jasper and his moblins took several steps back. His cronies all readied their spears and swords, laughing amongst themselves.
She touched down between her parents and the pirates. She glanced over her shoulder at them, and a deep longing rose up from her gut. Her parents’ eyes were fixed on her, on the verge of tears. They were completely shocked to see her appear in such a way. Their voices failed them as they looked up at their daughter with trembling lips.
Lana wanted to tell them everything in that moment. She wanted to share the whole story with them, to let them know that everything would be fine, that she’d protect them from the monsters. But, her words failed her, too. She couldn’t bring herself to speak to them. She knew how it had to look; their daughter, who had never held anything bigger than a cutting knife, had appeared before them after a month wielding a sword and bow, confronting a group of dangerous pirates. There was too much explaining that had to be done before that could start making sense.
And so, swallowing all of the words meant for them, she turned away and faced Jasper head on. “You stay away from my family!” she yelled.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. They have the knowledge I want.” he said. “But you, however, are no longer my concern, since you don’t actually know anything. So instead of being my source, you get to be my leverage.”
“Never!” she shouted.
“Hah. How brave. We’ll see how long that lasts.” Jasper motioned with his hand. “Seize her.”
On his command, the moblins behind him charged forward as he slyly stepped away. Lana didn’t hesitate to draw her sword and meet their charge head on. She overheard her mother gasp, and that sent electrifying chills throughout her body, but she didn’t have the time to pay it mind.
Just before coming into contact with the beasts, Lana ducked down. Her head began hurting and her heart tightened up, the signs of an incoming temporal rush. She took advantage of it to nimbly dodge her way in between the first few burly pirates, her sword dancing through their skin on the way.
Before anyone realized how it happened, three moblins collapsed to their knees, clutching their bleeding sides. The gasps from behind grew louder and more numerous. Having her parents and the townsfolk that scorned her so much watch her fight was almost distractingly uncomfortable. She had to bite down on her lip hard to keep focus.
As she passed by the first three moblins, she continued running forward, undaunted. The remaining moblins were caught by surprise, but they didn’t take long to recover. The first one Lana attacked managed to block her strike. Their blades grinded together until it was able to shove her back.
As soon as Lana’s foot hit the sand again, she lunged forward, dipping under the arc of another moblin’s spear. Her sword pierced through that first moblin’s chest, and as she withdrew it, she had to jump back over another spear sweep. Quickly clutching the edges of her deku leaf, she took to the air before she could be surrounded.
Once she was high enough, she let go of the edges, initiating another temporal rush. She hurriedly sheathed her sword and drew her bow, firing down at two of the moblins before she could no longer bear the constriction on her heart. Once again, to everyone else’s eyes, Lana appeared to be moving blindingly fast. The moblins had arrows in their skulls before they could blink.
“What in the world...” one of the townsfolk said.
“Since when could Lana fight? There’s no way this is real...” Renny said, unable to process what he was seeing.
“Lana... My gull...!” Manolo said.
“Is this really our little girl...?” Sofia said.
Hearing those words finally managed to break through Lana’s front. She grimaced, her heart feeling like it was being split apart. As she momentarily lost focus, one of the moblins prepared to swat her down as she returned to the ground.
Quickly getting her head back in the game, Lana angled her body and grabbed the edges of her deku leaf again. With a quick flap of her arms, she sailed through an opening between two moblins, spinning around and landing on her feet. She skidded to a stop behind them and drew her sword once more.
Lana kicked down on the ground as hard as she could, springing forward and slashing into the back of a moblin before it could fully turn around. She had to jump back again as another moblin began attacking, and its spear managed to slash across her cheek.
“No! Please, no!” Sofia yelled.
“We’ll give you whatever you want, just stop this! Please, not our daughter! Anything but that!” Manolo begged.
“That all depends on her, you know.” Jasper said as he calmly watched the battle unfold from the sidelines.
Lana quickly brushed the cut on her cheek with her sleeve before charging forward again. She leapt aside from another moblin’s spear attack. Her side was grazed a little, but she was able to maintain her balance as she lunged forward again and cut through the beast.
By then, another moblin had managed to get behind her. It swung its sword in a deadly arc. She barely managed to duck under it in time. Lana spun on her heel at that low height, slashing across its stomach. She then rolled to the side, avoiding another moblin bringing its spear down over her head. When she got back to her feet, she had to jump back to dodge a sword strike yet again.
“Please... I’m begging you... No more...” Sofia sobbed.
“Lana... Please, stop this! You must run! We’ll be fine, just please...!” Manolo shouted desperately.
“How about it, Lana? Ready to give in yet? It seems like your dear parents are at their wits’ end.” Jasper laughed.
Lana gritted her teeth as she ducked under another sword strike. She leapt over a sweeping spear and swung her blade down on a moblin twice her height. She cut through its flesh and leapt aside again as still another moblin moved in to strike her.
Her parents’ pleas were rattling around in her head, as were the hushed words of the spectators watching her battle. All those eyes were locked onto her, full of disbelief and denial. Meanwhile, Jasper watched the bloody struggle with a satisfied sneer. That smug expression did nothing but fan the flames of anger inside her further.
Just as Lana’s feet hit the ground again, she clenched her fists and stomped down as hard as she could. “DON’T YOU DARE GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
The crowd of captured townsfolk were stunned silent. Even her parents had never heard her shout like that. The moblins halted from the surprise of her yelling so suddenly. Jasper’s expression seemed to grow annoyed.
“Don’t ever let him have his way!” Lana continued to yell. “As long as you don’t give in, he won’t win! I swear to you, I’m going to put an end to him and save every last one of you! So don’t you dare despair! I am not losing to a despicable, cowardly, craven beast like him! Not now, not ever!”
Her rousing speech went unanswered, but not for a lack of caring. Tears poured from her parents eyes as they continued watching their daughter fight. The people of Greatfish Isle, who had once written Lana and her family off, watched her with awe and amazement. Jasper’s expression turned into a scowl. There weren’t many moblins left standing. The tide was beginning to turn.
“Jeez, what the heck is Lenzo even doing right now?” Orca complained as he cut down another row of bokoblins.
“I don’t know, but he said it was important, so let’s believe in him!” Aamali said.
“I just hope he hurries the hell up...” Ivan groaned.
The group had defeated many bokoblins. The street’s pavement was beginning to stain with a dull red. There were so many corpses, there wasn’t much room to stand anymore. Luckily, they’d only had to fight weak green bokoblins, but who knew when the more powerful monsters would make an appearance.
“There’s a whole mess of moblins and stalfos and even darknuts on those ships blocking the harbor...” Peeks reported. “It looks like they might start moving soon!”
“Ugh! Come on, Lenzo!” Orca yelled.
Right on cue, Lenzo came bursting out from a ruined house a ways up the street. He carried a cloth satchel in his arms as he hurriedly ran back to rejoin the group in the center of the town. Oshus awaited him there, sitting on the ground and resting as much as he could.
“Sir! I brought it!” Lenzo said, completely out of breath. “Is this what you needed?”
“Yes, that should be it. Quickly, bring it to me.” Oshus said in a commanding voice.
The closer Lenzo got to the old man, the more the satchel began glowing; or rather, what was inside of it did. He passed it on to Oshus as Orca and the others continued fighting off the monsters. When the contents of the bag were removed, it presented itself as a large, beautiful pearl.
It was bright blue in color, with a symbol that seemed reminiscent of the Rito crest. This fact didn’t go unnoticed by Aamali, who eyed it curiously. She was certain she’d seen a red pearl just like that one back home. In Oshus’s hands, its glowing blue sheen grew brighter than ever.
“It is time...” he began. “Time for me to return to the way I am supposed to be... This borrowed form has served me long enough. I am no longer needed this way. I must return... I must...”
“Return... So are you really...?” Lenzo breathed.
“Huh? Really what?” Aamali called back.
“Guys, the big monsters are starting to move!” Peeks warned.
“That means we gotta move, too! What in the hell is going on over there, Lenzo?” Orca yelled.
“It is time!” Oshus said again.
His next words were unintelligible to everyone present except Aamali and Peeks. When they heard him speak ancient hylian, their jaws dropped. However, that was the least of the surprises, as Oshus’s body began glowing the same shade of blue as the pearl he held in his arms.
After a moment of quiet suspense, his body seemed to dissolve into blue particles. These sparks swirled around in a big circular motion, gathering over the heads of Lenzo and his allies and even stretching out over the monsters. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sight, mouths hanging agape, utterly speechless.
The blue particles began rapidly flowing like water across the town, flying out toward the ocean. They condensed high above one of the pirate ships in the harbor, and then began rapidly expanding and taking on a new, massive form.
What these particles became seemed like a gigantic, blueish-black angler fish. A stalk grew from its head, with a brightly-glowing lantern hanging from it like a piercing. Large orange eyes and red flared markings where its nostrils should be sat atop thick blue lips. The creature was titanic in size, dwarfing the ship below it.
The creature, now fully reformed, was once again bound by the laws of gravity. It quickly plummeted down, crushing the pirate ship beneath its full weight. The monsters on board cried out in terror as their bodies were flattened or sent flying into the sea. An enormous wave rose up from the great splash, pushing the other two pirate ships away from the harbor.
No one could say anything about the sight. It defied all explanation, even for Lenzo, Aamali, and Peeks, who actually knew what was going on. The remaining bokoblins in town looked from the harbor, to the group in front of them, and back. In a panic, they turned tail and ran, trying to see if they could save any of their friends from drowning by the docks. Meanwhile, the group of brave fighters looked around at each other, unsure of what to do next.
Their answer came from the voice of a panicked Peeks. “Oh no! Guys, hurry! Lana’s in big trouble!”
As the last body hit the sand with a splatter, Lana stood before Jasper, panting heavily. Blood seeped from numerous cuts across her cheeks, her arms, and her stomach, but she had stood strong and defeated every single moblin that was thrown at her. She felt mildly woozy, and it was difficult for her to stand up straight, but her focus had been able to return in full force.
Jasper clucked his tongue, placing his face in the palm of his hand. “Unbelievable. I gave them all one job to do. What a bunch of worthless dregs. I should thank you for taking out the trash, I suppose.”
“That’s enough out of you. You’re next. I won’t let you escape this time.” Lana rasped.
Manolo and Sofia looked like they wanted to speak, but they didn’t. Perhaps they were in too much disbelief, or perhaps their daughter’s words had gotten through to them. Whatever the case, they found themselves unable to act. Meanwhile, the crowd of villagers behind them chattered amongst themselves.
“She killed every last one of them... What the heck happened to her since she’s been gone?” one of the villagers said.
“It hasn’t even been a whole month... How on earth...?” said another.
“I can’t believe it... That was really... amazing.” said another still.
Amazing. She’d gone and said the one word none of them seemed to want to say. After everything they’d said about the girl, she had come in and saved the day. She fought tooth and nail for their lives right after they had been disparaging her and her family. Some of them didn’t really want to admit it and agree that she was amazing, and others just looked ashamed of themselves. There were a lot of mixed emotions in that crowd.
However, there was one obstacle remaining before they were truly safe. That one obstacle happened to be the biggest of them all. The one and only Pirate King, Jasper.
“I suppose if you want something done, you must truly do it yourself.” he said lackadaisically.
He rolled his shoulders and eyed Lana menacingly. He was not encased in a heavy suit of armor like he had been when they fought in the Forsaken Fortress. His tunic was made of a light brown leather, fitted with simple steel plating across the important bits. He still carried a large buckler on his left arm, but he sported a broadsword at his waist and a massive axe on his back. He seemed to ditch the overwhelming defense for a more practical approach this time.
Lana held her sword at the ready, watching him nervously. Her eyes darted all around his body, watching for sudden movements, ready to react to anything. That hypervigilance saved her life as he made his first move.
As soon as Jasper took a step forward, he was on her in an instant. He was moving so much faster than before that it nearly threw Lana off. He stepped into a drawing stance with the sword at his waist, pulling it into a wide arc right out of its sheath. Lana leapt backward, bending out of the way and flipping over in the air.
Her feet touched back down at the same time as Jasper’s next move. He was already right in front of her again. She had to duck down low, and as she did, she readied herself to lunge forward. As the tip of her sword shot out, aimed to pierce through his chest, Jasper leapt to the side and thrusted his shield arm forward.
He bashed her arm with his buckler, forcing Lana to stumble over. When she crumpled down in pain, he lifted his sword up, ready to swing it down on her. Sofia started to scream, but Lana’s next move was already in action.
Such a threatening situation was just what she needed to start up another temporal rush. Jasper’s blade seemed to slow down, allowing her to roll back to her feet, safely out of the way. Before she let the rush end, she lunged forward again. Her senses returned to normal before her sword met its mark.
Jasper quickly lurched back, but not without being grazed across his chest. Unfortunately, Lana’s sword merely slid across his armor plating. There was no damage this time. Lana cursed herself for being unable to hold that temporal rush any longer as she jumped back before Jasper had fully recovered.
Now a good distance away, Lana used her deku leaf to quickly take to the skies again. She intended to shoot Jasper with her bow from midair like she had done to the moblins earlier. However, he seemed to predict this. The moment she flew up, he raised his buckler above his head.
Lana was already in the midst of initiating another temporal rush when he did this. It was too late to back out of it. Relenting, she drew her bow and pulled out an ice arrow. She still had three left of both types of enchanted arrows, so she decided this was the time to use them. She targeted the buckler on his arm, hoping the cold would warp the metal and peel his skin.
When the ice arrow made impact, she was already out of her rush with a splitting headache. The freezing tip exploded into a shower of ice once it hit the shield, violently forcing it off Jasper’s arm and bending his limb painfully as it went. The brute cried out in pain and glared hard at Lana as she came back down to the ground.
In the middle of her fall, Lana drew her sword again, preparing to slam it down on Jasper’s head. He raised his own sword to counter her, and their blades met with a flurry of sparks. Lana was able to vault over him from this position, and as she landed behind him, she prepared to turn into another slash. He began turning around to meet her the same way.
Before they could, an ear-shattering noise forced them both to stumble.
“What in blazes?!” Jasper gasped, staring at the harbor.
Lana couldn’t resist turning away from him to see for herself what was going on. A huge wave erupted from the place a pirate ship had once been. It was completely destroyed beneath the weight of... something. She stared at it intensely, trying to figure out what it was.
It was some kind of gigantic creature. It reminded her of an angler fish, whatever it was. Yet, something was odd. It was her first time seeing it, but she couldn’t help but feel as though it was familiar. The longer she looked, the more she was able to put it together. She knew exactly who that creature was. She’d known him all her life.
“Curses... The Great Spirit Jabun has shown himself at last, has he?” Jasper growled.
- Great Spirit Jabun? No... But... That’s impossible. There’s no way... I mean, that’s...
“Oshus... is Jabun?” Lana said, her mind struggling to make sense of the revelation.
“Lana, watch out!” Manolo shouted.
“Lana, no!” Aamali’s voice called out as she arrived.
“Wh-”
Seething pain erupted throughout Lana’s head as she hit the wet sand in a daze. Her mind went foggy. Perhaps the shock of seeing Oshus reveal himself as Jabun made it harder for her senses to return to her, but when they did, she found herself laying on the ground, with the tip of Jasper’s sword inches from her heart.
“No! Lana!” Sofia screamed.
“Moment of truth. Do I get what I want, or do you lose your daughter forever?” Jasper bellowed.
“Lana, I’m coming!” Aamali called out desperately.
But she was too far out. There was no way she could get there in time. Jasper, seeming unsatisfied by the whole situation, scoffed. He turned away from Manolo and Sofia, gazing down at Lana with eyes full of hatred. In those eyes, she could see he’d made his choice.
He plunged his sword down into her chest. She felt the tip of the blade pierce her skin, and the intense pain that followed had all but confirmed it. She was now dead. That was it. That was the end of her adventure. She died trying to save her parents, without ever being able to truly settle anything. She never got to tell them her stories, she never got to introduce them to her friends, and most of all, she never got to find her motherland like she always wanted. What an unsatisfying way to die. But what could she do about it? That was it.
Unless... it wasn’t?
Why wasn’t she dead yet? How could she still be thinking these things? He’d stabbed her through the heart. People don’t live when they get stabbed through their hearts. So why did she?
She warily opened her eyes, and was surprised to see a purple barrier obscuring her vision. Jasper’s face, contorted in shock, could be seen on the other side of it. Taking another good look, she was able to deduce that this purple barrier had fully deflected Jasper’s sword at the last second, before it had pierced her heart.
“What...? No... It can’t be...!” Jasper’s voice rumbled.
“Lana?! What in the world is that?” Aamali exclaimed.
Orca, Lenzo, Ivan, and Peeks, who had also just arrived, were as shocked as everyone else there. Everyone, Lana included, stared dumbfounded at the mysterious purple veil enclosing her from harm. All but one person.
Sofia smiled, looking relieved. “Thank goodness... It worked, after all.”
Manolo didn’t seem to share his wife’s clear-headedness. “Sofia...? You didn’t...”
“YOU LIED TO ME!” Jasper howled.
“I did not. I told you, if we had brought the zam spell with us, we would have given it to our daughter. And that’s just what I did.” Sofia said proudly.
“Don’t you ever underestimate a mother’s love for her child!”
The time has finally come at last. The final chapter of Ride the Winds! has arrived! It's been close to a year now since I started writing this story. Even with a 5 month break, that's a long time to work on a single project. It's been a lot of fun, and it felt really good to finally pen down another story after how successful The Hero of Spirits was. I know some of my readers may be sad that the story has reached its conclusion, but don't worry, so am I. 
That said, there's still one final addition of content that's going to come after this! Look forward to it, and buckle in for the ride, because this chapter is the single longest piece I have ever written!
I was born different from other moblins. This fact was obvious to me from a young age.
Howling wind. Roiling ocean. Crackling fires. The only sounds to be heard on the lonely jut of rock sticking out of the sea. The newly born moblin sat on the wet, cold ground, staring into the horizon. Its stomach grumbled, its skin was dirty, and its mind was still forming. Yet, it did not cry. Instinctually, it knew that would not do any good. Its needs could not be met by crying. It knew, once that mind began turning, that it must take action.
Upon birth, a moblin is entirely on their own. No one is there to care for it, no one is there to feed it or teach it. Everything must be taken. Otherwise, all that awaits them is a quick death. No one will mourn. No one will wish they had done something. Not its own kind, and least of all any residents of the Great Sea.
To live means to take. This truth was drilled into me in my first battle. I was still young and inexperienced with fighting. I had already made some allies among my fellow moblins, and we had set out to sea to find something to feed us. We ran across a ship manned by humans, and they didn’t hesitate to exterminate us, just as we didn’t hesitate to exterminate them.
“Slaughter them all!”
“Don’t let a single one of the beasts get away!”
Steel split flesh in two as men bellowed orders. Moblins roared as they charged forward, determined to kill and take what they could. They leapt from one ship to the other, bringing blood and tears of agony back and forth. Smoke began to fill the air as the ships burned. Despite their choking lungs, neither side refused to stop spilling blood.
Only one pair of eyes watched from afar. Hungry, yet cautious, the moblin observed the violence. It wondered why.
I was the only survivor. I can still hear the battle cries my brethren sang as they leapt out into the fray. I can still hear how their bones crunched and the sound of their blood splattering on the deck of the ship. I watched from a safe distance in the crow’s nest as my fellow moblins were cut down, one by one. Each of them managed to take a human down with them, but there were more of them than there were of us. There always were.
I only survived because I didn’t attack. I fled into a lifeboat. They fired upon me with their ship’s cannons, but I avoided their shots through sheer luck. I escaped on my own with nothing. I had failed to acquire food, and my allies were dead. There is no sorrow to be had over loss in our world, but still, I was angry. I was livid, even. Absolutely seething.
Cold, wet, and alone once more, the moblin washed up on the island from whence it came. It tried to hold itself up, but tired and spasming muscles in its arms forced it down. The sea spray only served to mask the true purpose of its shivering. The moblin’s eyes looked forward, but it only saw red. The red of blood and anger and futility. Furiously slamming its fits on the rock, it howled into the crying wind for an answer.
I was angry, yes. But not at the humans for killing them. That was natural. I’d do the same thing in their position. No, the reason I was so angry was because of the utter incompetence displayed by my allies. Our misfortune of encountering humans meant a battle was inevitable. However, the damn fools just charged in like rabid beasts. They did not even stop to see how many of them there were. It was as though they had no sense of self preservation.
Why was I able to see something they could not? I was a moblin, too, wasn’t I? They died for nothing because they were foolish and stupid. I was angry because I knew I was a moblin just as they were. I loathed being associated with such brutish stupidity. But why? Was I simply born that way?
As the years passed, I began to think there was something different about me. Something better. Something special. Perhaps even something important or unique. The more I surveyed a situation before engaging, the better my allies and I fared. Before long, word passed around monsterkind that if one were to stick with me, success and fortune were to follow. Soon, I had amassed an impressive following of monsters, bokoblins and moblins alike. We even managed to claim an old, abandoned fort as our turf. I became less angry, but I didn’t get any happier.
Merriment and song filled the air, drowning out the sounds of the wind and sea at last. What was once empty and lonely had become bursting full of life and activity. Bokoblins guzzled down spirits and wine while moblins gorged themselves on smoked meats and fish. The cheer radiating from the monstrous party was not lost on the angry moblin. For the first time in its life, it knew the pleasure of good company. And yet, it wasn’t enough.
My station in life hadn’t changed. In the end, I was still a monster, and thus marked for immediate extermination on sight by anything that wasn’t a monster. I don’t think this is unjustified. Monsters would do the same to anyone else, after all. I never cared to change this kill or be killed lifestyle. That part I was fine with.
What I wasn’t fine with, however, was my lot in life. As a moblin, there was so much in the world I would never have. A comfortable bed. A consistent source of food. Influence on my surroundings. A purpose beyond killing and eating. Most of all, control over my own destiny. But the humans had all that. They had that and more, just handed to them upon birth simply by virtue of being human.
A chalice of wine shattered against the floor. Purple fluid stained the stone like a splatter of blood. A broken desk soon joined it. The wood left splinters in its assailant, the once-lonely moblin. It still wasn’t enough. It was never enough. A deep hole remained in its heart the more it thought about what it couldn’t have. It was unfair. It was insatiable. What was this?
My anger had changed to jealousy, red hot emotion turned sickly green. Why did they get to have everything so easily? What made them so special? There was nothing I could get that I didn’t have to take for myself, unlike them. What did I lack that could have made me the same way? I wanted it, whatever it was.
So I thought, I should just take it, then. I should take it for myself, that thing that I lacked. I didn’t know what it was, so I just took everything I could get my hands on. The thing that would finally give me the self-determination and worth I had been so obscenely jealous of would surely show itself to me if I did that, given time.
I did everything I could to encourage the process. I stole hordes of books and forced myself to read them until I had them all memorized. I practiced the hylian tongue for hours and hours and hours, for so many weeks and months, that I had nearly worn away all the muscles in my jaw. I used hot irons and mallets to hammer out the gait in my legs so I could stand up straight. I bleached my skin with chemicals until it turned a desirable shade of pink. I even tattooed myself with the visage of a human skeleton. All of this I did to make myself closer to being human, closer to them, to help me find what I wanted to find.
Along the way, I began to think that perhaps owning everything there was to own would be that something. Who else had ever owned everything in the world? If I could do that, if I could just prove that even a moblin could do something no one had ever done before, then maybe... Just maybe, the unquenchable thirst that had driven me mad for decades would finally be satisfied. I would finally have achieved my own destiny.
Merriment had been replaced with fear and awe. The once old fort had been repurposed, filled with weapons and monsters and avarice. Even its fellow moblins stood at attention, smitten with its accomplishments. Bokoblins gossiped about how it had crossed the boundary into manhood. It had become a moblin yet unsurpassed by monsterkind. A true paragon among its brethren. At long last, the moblin that was once alone had begun to fill the void.
Yes, that is just what I had to do. I would become the moblin that rose up as “King” of all pirates and monsters, who owned everything on the Great Sea. Then I would finally want for nothing, because I would have everything. I would finally be somebody. That is what I convinced myself.
That is what I am. I am not a moblin, not a man, but a King. And everything in the world must belong to me. Everything will belong to me. No matter what it is and how I have to get it.
A King cannot be satisfied by anything less than everything.
x x x
The sudden activation of the zam spell put a dead halt on everything happening. Aside from Sofia, everyone was too stunned to react. Lana herself was in more disbelief than anyone. Had she really been carrying around the zam spell this entire time? She was completely unaware of it if she was. She wasn’t even sure what form it took.
How did it work? Was it triggered only when she was about to die? If so, could it have activated before on her journey without her realizing it? And where did that barrier emanate from? She didn’t have anything on her person that could be called a charm from home or anything else of the sort. Was it purely magic, then? There was too much she didn’t understand about it. She was hopelessly confused.
The first person to break through this confusion and act was Aamali. She tossed up her hammer and caught it with her talons, and rocketed forward straight at Jasper. Before he could react, she had slammed her hammer into his chest and sent him flying into the cliffside next to Jabun’s wall.
“Gaugh-!” he cried out and coughed up blood.
Jasper collapsed in a heap at the base of the cliff, dazed out of his mind. This sight sprung the others to action, as well. Lenzo dashed to the head of the group and spoke as loudly and concisely as he could, his mind spinning behind each word.
“Everyone! You can stand, right? You must move quickly! Follow us away from here, to a safe place!” he shouted.
After a bit of hesitation and cautious glances between each other, the villagers of Goponga rose to their feet, though their arms were still bound in chains. Manolo and Sofia did the same, rushing to Lana’s side and helping her up. The zam spell had already vanished by then.
From the village, a stampede of bokoblins and moblins was coming their way. Orca motioned for everyone to pick up the pace, frowning as he looked over his shoulder at the horde. Fortunately for them, they seemed more concerned with aiding their King.
Lana wasn’t about to let that happen. She broke out of her parent’s embrace and sprinted toward Jasper, wordlessly brandishing her sword. Anyone who caught a glimpse of her eyes would have said they were coldly focused. She was over her hesitation this time. She fully intended to end Jasper’s life, to put an end to this entire struggle in one blow.
Unfortunately, he recovered before she could reach him. “COME!” he bellowed.
A shrill squawk and a rush of wings filled Lana’s ears and reminded her of what happened last time. She tried to force-start a temporal rush, hoping to reach Jasper before it was too late, but she wasn’t in enough danger to pull it off. The resulting headache only threw her off balance.
Sharp talons dug into Jasper’s shoulders and lifted him into the air. Just like before, an armored helmaroc had come to his rescue. Lana, feeling frustrated and angry that he slipped out of reach a second time, stomped her foot on the ground.
“I am not letting it end this way again!” she cursed.
Lana drew her bow and aimed for the helmaroc. She would see Jasper plummet from the air. The bird was experienced, though, and easily dodged three of her arrows before Lana decided that it wasn’t worth shooting from the ground anymore. She reached for the edges of her deku leaf, but stopped when she saw Aamali take off again.
“Oh no you don’t!” she yelled.
She was incredibly fast in the air, even while carrying that hammer around. As expected of a Rito, Lana supposed. Aamali twirled around in the air, swinging her hammer in a deadly curve that smacked the helmaroc’s armored head. The creature was stunned into letting go of Jasper.
“DAMN YOU!” he screamed as he fell back to the ground.
He landed with a loud thud in the midst of his scurrying pirates. The brutes were trained well; they immediately surrounded him and formed a wall between Lana’s group and the wounded Pirate King. A handful of moblins began charging at them, and so their priorities had to shift away from Jasper for the moment.
“I’ll make sure he can’t escape into the air! You guys get the villagers somewhere safe!” Aamali called down from the sky.
“Thanks! I owe you!” Lana said.
“Don’t be silly! This is my repayment.” Aamali winked.
With that, Aamali flew off to engage a flock of helmarocs taking off from one of the remaining pirate ships. At the same time, Jabun resurfaced and sank another one by ramming his body into it. The boat split apart like it were made of paper. His weight was too much for it to withstand. A whole mess of monsters fell into the sea, trying and failing to stay afloat.
Lana gazed at the enormous spirit, her mind still having trouble accepting the reality that he was her friend Oshus.
- Why didn’t he ever tell me who he really was? I don’t understand...
“Hey, Lana, we gotta move!” Orca said, grabbing her shoulder.
“... You’re right. The villagers have to be saved.” she nodded.
She would have to set aside all of her doubts and confusion. There would be plenty of time to talk things through later, should they all survive. She came today to make that happen. She wanted that chance to talk with everyone. She wanted them to know about her, and she wanted to know about them. Her parents and Oshus both, and maybe even the villagers, too.
The group started running, going around the cliffs that enclosed Jabun’s cove. They traveled around the edge of the island, passing by the spot where Orca’s boat was hidden, using the narrow beach and high cliffs to their advantage. The fighters in the party kept the pursuing monsters off their backs in the rear while the villagers ran ahead. Lenzo took up the lead, and he called out his plan to everyone.
“I think we should all move for Emilia’s pirate ship. It’s docked at the eastern inlet. We should be able to reach it if we follow this coastline, right?” he said.
“Yeah, we can, but...” one of the villagers said.
“Then we need to free it and make it a safe place for all of you to wait this out! I’m sure we can accomplish that! I know we can!” he said encouragingly.
“Emilia will surely help us if we save her. She’s the one who called me here.” Lana explained.
“What? How did...” another villager said.
“Kah! Don’t sweat the details, just move it!” Orca grumbled.
“Here, everyone! Let me take care of those chains!” Peeks said.
The little korok revealed a twig that he probably picked up somewhere. It didn’t seem particularly remarkable or helpful, but in his hands, he worked it like it was a professional tool. He flew to each person in turn and wrenched it between the chains, untangling them and yanking them off as he wiggled it around. It was rather impressive.
- I can always count on the ingenuity of a korok.
Lana smiled as she thought this. She found it amazing how everyone who had come with her was finding ways to help her, even the ones who couldn’t fight directly. She knew that she could never make it up to them for as long as she lived, but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying after everything was over.
“Lana...”
Her father’s voice snapped her focus back to the moment. Her parents had slowed their pace so they could join her at the rear guard. Their expressions were no longer filled with fear or confusion, only pride. Lana’s heart stung just looking at the warmth on their faces.
“My gull... I don’t really have the words...” Manolo said.
“I don’t know what you’ve been doing or how or why, but... All I can say is that I’m so relieved to see you well.” Sofia said, looking like she might begin crying again.
Lana’s lip quivered as she tried to think of something to say to them. “I’m glad I made it on time to help you. I promise I’ll tell you everything, but before that, Jasper has to die.”
“Lana... It’s, um... Hearing you speak that way is...” Sofia said, looking startled.
“I’m sorry. I must be unrecognizable to you right now... Seeing me fight like that, and all.” Lana said.
“No, never. You’re our daughter, no matter what you might do or say. Nothing could change that.” Manolo said. “The only thing I care about right now is your safety, not your explanation.”
Lana smiled. “You haven’t changed a bit, Papa. Though I guess it has only been a month. Don’t worry, my friends and I will see us through this. I swear it.”
“I believe you. I know you can do it, my gull.” Manolo said.
“Normally I’d say don’t call me that, but today can be a special exception.” Lana winked.
“Haha! You see? You’re still our daughter, after all. Not unrecognizable by one bit.” Sofia said, reaching back to caress Lana’s cheek while they ran.
That simple act filled Lana’s heart with more emotion than she knew what to do with. She wiped her eyes to keep tears from spilling out, her heart aching from a sense of longing. Still, there was work to be done before she could act on that feeling. The fiery blaze in her heart continued to push her forward, fighting tooth and nail to reach the conclusion she sought so badly. She would not fail again. Next time, she would kill Jasper for sure.
“I see the ship up ahead!” Lenzo called out!
Sure enough, the familiar sight of Emilia’s ship came into view beyond an outcropping of rocks. It looked ravaged and in desperate need of repair. It likely wasn’t seaworthy. Even from that distance, Lana was able to catch a horrible sight. She bit her lip as anger welled up from within.
Emilia’s bruised and bloody body was strung up on the mast in the center of the ship. Renazo, as the first mate, was similarly displayed on the rear mast. Neither of them appeared to be conscious. Their injuries looked severe.
- I can’t believe it... I never thought she could lose like this. Emilia, hang on. I promise I’ll save you.
There weren’t any remaining monsters giving chase. It was difficult to see the state of things in the village behind all the cliffs, so Peeks decided to go and scout it out again. Meanwhile, Lana ran to the front of the group with Orca and Ivan. The three of them would be the ones to free the ship from the monsters’ control.
They quickly exchanged a plan of attack between themselves, and put it to work before the situation had a chance to change. Lana took off into the air with her deku leaf, intending to drop down on the ship from above. Orca and Ivan would take on the stepladder that bridged the ship with the shoreline.
From her brief position in the sky, Lana could see Aamali duking it out with several helmarocs in the airspace over the village. She was concerned, but she decided to trust her friend. She gazed down at Emilia’s ship and saw a number of green and blue bokoblins marching around the deck, as well as a few moblins standing at attention. The remainder of the crew was bound in chains, sitting helplessly near the back of the ship much like the villagers had been earlier.
She glanced down at Ivan and Orca, and they were in place to spring out at a moment’s notice. And so, Lana dove down toward the ship, recalling a moment she shared with Orca in the Forbidden Woods where she attempted a surprise attack from above. This time, she managed to pull that move off flawlessly, stabbing her blade down through the back of an unsuspecting moblin’s neck.
The large brute collapsed, dead before it realized what happened. Emilia’s crew all gasped in shock, and then started an uproar of raucous cheering when they saw that Lana had come to help them. The remaining moblins turned their spears on her, angry and determined to uphold the job that Jasper had given them.
At the same time, as the monsters guarding the ladder to the ship looked away in surprise of all the noise, Orca and Ivan jumped out to ambush them. The few bokoblins were dead in seconds, and Ivan dashed up the ladder to give Lana backup. Orca stayed below and brandished his spear, as monsters at the top of the hill overlooking the inlet took notice of them.
It was Orca’s job to keep any more monsters from storming the ship while Lana and Ivan fought. His crewmates looked very pleased to see that he had survived and managed to join up with Lana. Together, the pair of them cut their way through each enemy that attacked them.
Ivan ducked under the arc of a moblin’s spear, springing forward to stab it in the gut. As another moblin closed in on him, he crouched down to allow Lana to leap off his shoulder. She soared over the moblin’s attack and cut it down as she landed. In that same motion, Ivan turned around and dashed into approaching bokoblins, cutting through their hides with his cutlass. The pair worked together surprisingly well.
Finally, there were only two moblins left. Neither of them looked like they wanted to die, so they turned tail and ran. Lana, however, had other ideas for them. She didn’t want them joining back up with the rest of Jasper’s forces, so she drew her bow and quickly loosed an arrow. Without a temporal rush, she only had time to shoot one of them. It fell to the deck face-first, dead. The other leapt over the railing down into the sand.
Fortunately, Orca was there. He didn’t let it escape his notice, and cut down that one too with the rest of the monsters attempting to reach the ship. His spear twirled through the air, sending specks of blood flying in all directions. He made it clear to the monsters that there would be no getting by him. He even made time to bounce his pectoral muscles as a show of force.
Emilia’s ship had thus been recaptured. It was easier than Lana expected, much to her relief. Ivan quickly went to untie his crewmates.
“Ivan, buddy! You made it!”
“I knew we could count on you!”
His allies said mushy things unbefitting of pirates as Lana went to tend to Emilia. She had been strung up pretty high on the center mast. She had been up there for a while, too, as her blood had trickled all the way down the mast to the deck. It was a harrowing sight. Lana clenched her teeth, feeling viscerally angry about what had been done to her.
She climbed the mast’s ladder and carefully began pulling the chains loose. As Emilia’s body slumped forward, Lana held her arm out to catch her, managing to shift Emilia over her shoulder. She was still warm, and she could still feel a heartbeat. Lana’s nerves settled a bit upon confirming this.
She slowly descended the ladder while the crew waited for them below. Some, like Ivan, had gone over to assist Renazo, but most of them hovered worriedly around Lana and Emilia in a circle. They were almost like concerned children fretting over a sick parent, which Lana found a little amusing. Despite their reputation, the crew was pretty close with each other.
- Whatever else she is, she’s very well-respected, isn’t she?
“You sure are something, Emilia...” Lana said quietly, kneeling down on the deck and resting her head in her arms.
“Is she... alive?” one of the crew asked.
Lana nodded, and a great sigh washed over the crew like a chorus. Lana smiled up at them, and then looked down at Emilia when she began to feel movement. Slowly, the surly captain’s eyes rose open, and then scrunched back shut like she felt a splitting pain.
“Ugh... What the damn hell took you so long to get here, Lana...” she moaned.
“Haha... It figures the first thing you say when you wake up would be a bunch of swears. Do you do that in the mornings, too, sleepyhead?” Lana teased.
“... Urk. I’m so gonna hit you for that later. But first, help me stand up, you damn slowpoke.” Emilia grunted.
Shakily, Lana pulled Emilia up to her feet. The captain pressed her hand against her temple and continued to groan. Her crew was elated enough to dance around the deck in joy, at least until Emilia barked at them to cut it out.
“Captain...! You’re okay... Thank goodness.” Renazo said as he stumbled over to the center of the deck.
“Do I look okay to you, dumbass? I feel like I just got keel-hauled.” she said.
“You got it worse than I did... I’m relieved that your life isn’t in any danger.” Renazo said.
“The battle isn’t over yet, though. Jasper and his pirates still have control of the island.” Lana informed them. “My friends and I were able to rescue the villagers, at least. I want to leave them here on your ship. Can you guys guard them?”
“Sure, it’s not like this ship is usable right now, anyway. Bring ‘em up.” Emilia consented.
On her word, those of her crew that were still able-bodied headed down to the beach, helping Orca chase off some remaining bokoblins on the way. They escorted the villagers up onto the deck of the ship, and many of them were quite surprised to see that Lana was on friendly terms with the grouchy pirate captain.
“Thanks so much for doing this, Emilia.” Lana said.
“Hey, consider it my congratulations. Never expected a sorry sack like you to have friends.” she smirked.
Lana could hear Renny snort from somewhere in the crowd of villagers, but she ignored it for the moment.
“Yeah, you could say that. I really am blessed to have them. They’re wonderful friends, and I never could’ve made it this far without them.” she said.
“Ugh, stop being all gross. This better not lead into you saying I’m one of ‘em.” Emilia said.
“And what would you do if I did?” Lana teased.
“Vomit, probably.”
“Ha! Even when you’re half-dead, you’re still as rude as ever.” Lana laughed. “But, I dunno... I guess I still like talking to you, anyway. Who’d have thought?”
For a split second, Emilia appeared to blush. She turned her face away, swatting Lana’s shoulder with her fist as she did. Her crew looked like they were painfully choking back the chuckles, and Lana’s parents smiled warmly. They seemed to be glad that Lana was finally able to make so many friends.
“Alright, now that we’ve retaken the ship and made it a safe place for the villagers to stay, what’s our next step?” Lenzo said.
“Obviously, we’re gonna go steamroll the rest of the monsters, right?” Orca said, slamming his fists together.
“Wait, we don’t have a lay of the land right now. Peeks is scouting. We should wait for him.” Lana suggested.
Right on cue, the little korok returned, alerting the others to his presence with the sound of his spinning leaves. “You guys!” he called out.
“Huh?! What is that thing?” one of the pirates said.
“What the heck? You got a korok for a friend, too?” Emilia said.
“I sure do.” Lana grinned. “Peeks, what did you see up there?”
“Good news and bad news. The good news is, Aamali has defeated most of the helmarocs. There’s only that one big armored one left. Also, the Great Jabun sank all the pirate ships, and he’s blocking the harbor and preventing any of the village’s ships from leaving the port. That means there’s nowhere for Jasper to run. He’s stuck on this island.”
“That’s a much more favorable situation than I was expecting!” Lenzo said.
Lana felt her skin twinge a bit. Jasper was stranded on Greatfish. There was no escape anymore. All she had to do was run him down and end him. She didn’t like how bloodthirsty she felt in that moment, but she knew hesitation at this point would cost her even more dearly than it did last time. She had already made up her mind; she was going to kill him herself.
“So? What’s the bad news, then? Out with it!” Emilia said.
“Bad news is all the big and dangerous monsters managed to land before Jabun sank their last ship. So now we’ve gotta contend with even more moblins, as well as stalfos and darknuts. This is gonna be a brutal fight...” he shivered.
The villagers were all shaken by this news. Emilia’s crew looked on edge. Even Orca seemed a bit withdrawn at the prospect of fighting all that. Some of the toughest monsters on the Great Sea stood in their path to victory. There would be no reaching Jasper without defeating them. Manolo and Sofia looked especially anxious, because they could see the look on their daughter’s face.
“Even so, we have to go.” she said quietly.
“... Yeah. Yeah, we do.” Orca said. “My student is right. We can’t allow these beasts to roam free. If we don’t wipe them out, this island won’t be habitable anymore.”
“Let’s wipe ‘em out, regardless. I owe those bastards for what they did to me, and my way is to pay blood back with blood.” Emilia rasped.
“Wait, you’re going, too, Captain?” Renazo said. “Then I-”
“No. Stay here and keep the landlubbers safe. The rest of you, too. They won’t stand a chance without you.” Emilia ordered. “Besides, they’re only in this mess because we accidentally lured Jasper here... It’s only right.”
Renazo seemed a little stunned by her words. Truly, it didn’t really sound like her. Lana wondered what had brought this on. Emilia seemed to notice her curious stares, and turned her face away.
“Very well... We’ll defend them with our lives.” Renazo said.
“Right!” her crew called out.
“I think I should remain here, too... I, uh, I don’t think I’d be any use out there at all.” Lenzo said, sounding disappointed in himself.
“It’s fine, you’ve done more than enough for us. You’re making the right call.” Lana assured him.
“I’ll fly ahead of you guys to scout the way!” Peeks said.
“Hopefully we can join up with Aamali at some point... With just the three of us, it’s gonna be rough.” Orca said.
“You’re a master swordsman, though, aren’t you? Come on, you can’t be losing to your student yet.” Lana said with a wink.
“Ah...! Yes, you’re right! Don’t you worry, I’ll cut down every single monster that crosses my path!” Orca exclaimed.
“Wow, he’s pretty easy to sway, huh?” Emilia said, grabbing some daggers from her crew.
“Are you okay to fight?” Lana asked.
“Better than any of these wimps, that’s for damn sure.” Emilia said. “You don’t doubt me, do you? Don’t you even think I’m gonna get beat again. I only lost the first time cuz friggin’ Jasper doesn’t fight fair.”
“Then I’d better not see you fighting fair, either.” Lana said.
“... Damn straight.” Emilia grinned.
Their preparations were made. They knew what they had to do. Together, the three fighters stepped to the edge of the ship. At their backs were friends and allies and loved ones; many lives that were dependent on their actions. Whatever they did from that moment on would directly determine whether those lives continued on or ended.
Bearing that weight on her shoulders, Lana took a deep breath to settle her mind. No more distractions. No more hesitation. The moment had finally come to put and end to the bitter enemy that was Jasper the Pirate King. For the sake of her family, for peace on the Great Sea, and for herself, as well, Lana was ready to seize victory and take hold of her own destiny.
“Now, let’s begin. Here we come!”
With that rallying cry, the three of them leapt from the ship. When their feet hit the sand, they took off running up the slope that led up the cliffs. Before even reaching the top, they were already beset by a horde of bokoblins. They would have to clear their path through battle.
Lana’s estoc tore through the first few monsters with ease, and as she glanced behind herself, Orca took out several more with a wide swing of his spear. Emilia, ducking under the path of his weapon, used her daggers to cut through any stragglers. The three warriors made it rain blood as they pushed on up the trail.
Bokoblin limbs tumbled to the ground separately from their bodies, rolling down the slope and piling up at the base. Lana motioned for Orca to jump to the front, so he took the lead. With him slicing his way through even more enemies, Lana had time to turn around and draw a fire arrow. Emilia noticed what she was up to, and pulled out a bottle of oil. She tossed it down to the mountain of corpses, the glass shattering and dousing them all.
Lana loosed her fire arrow, setting the pile of bodies ablaze. This served as a fiery barricade, making it difficult for enemies that got past them to approach the ship. It wouldn’t burn forever, but it would buy Emilia’s crew enough time to set up their defenses.
With that weight off their minds, the three of them reached the top of the hill. Greatfish Isle’s farmlands spread out before their eyes. What was once a peaceful field full of wheat and grains was now piles of ash and crops torn asunder. The area was overrun with bokoblins, more than the trio could count.
As soon as they stepped onto the field, all of the monsters’ attention was honed in on them. They had no choice but to fight through the horde. The opposing forces clashed together in a furious melee, the overwhelming odds putting pressure on Lana and her friends. Each time they cut down one enemy, three more would take its place. It was going to turn into a battle of attrition at this pace.
And then the leader of the horde stepped forward. Its blade crashed down, almost splitting Lana in two. She rolled out of the way as Orca jumped to her aid, defending her from a follow up attack from a pair of bokoblins. The leader was a darknut, sporting impressive shiny armor that gleamed in the light of the fires. It toted a Knight’s Crest on its belt just as Lana did. Its red, glowing eyes could be seen through the visor on its helmet, and they were trained right at her.
- Ugh, with this thing targeting me, it’ll be difficult to advance.
“Bastard... You guys keep moving. I’ll handle him.” Orca said.
“Huh? You tryin’ to die?” Emilia said.
“No. But if you guys can get to Jasper, it’ll draw the rest of them away from here, and away from the ship.” he said. “I’ll be fine. I can handle this thing no problem.”
“Orca! You...” Lana wanted to stop him, but she cut herself off.
She recognized the strategy in this plan, and she knew it would be in everyone’s best interest to capitalize on it. She had come this far by trusting her allies to do their parts, so it would be insulting of her to stop now.
“Alright. Be careful.” Lana nodded. “LISTEN UP, MONSTERS! WE MARCH TO KILL JASPER! TRY AND STOP US, IF YOU DARE!”
Her instigating shout whipped the bokoblins into a frenzy. She knew they all admired Jasper, and so she used their loyalty to her advantage. Together with Emilia, they started running for the road that led to the town down on the other side of the farms.
The darknut moved to intercept them, but Orca stood in its way, countering its sword with his spear. The weight behind the strike was intense enough that Orca thought the shaft of his weapon might shatter, but through those muscles he was so proud of, he stood his ground and shoved the beast back.
“Oh no, you don’t. That’s my student back there. As her master and the one who trained her, I won’t let you lay a finger on that kid!” Orca yelled.
The darknut’s attention had shifted. As a creature that lived only for battle, it was captivated by the prospect of battling someone who had trained a holder of a Knight’s Crest. It aimed its sword at Orca now, brandishing it menacingly. Orca readied his spear, feeling completely unafraid. His precious student was at his back, and he had no intention of budging.
From one warrior to another, no further words needed to be exchanged. Orca and the darknut both moved for each other at the same time. Their weapons crashed together again, with the blade of Orca’s spear grinding down the beast’s sword. When their weapons parted, Orca twirled around to its rear and swung his spear at the back of its head.
The darknut ducked under the swing and raised its foot, kicking back into Orca’s stomach. He was lifted off the ground, but he managed to land on his feet, skidding to a stop in the dirt and kicking up dust. He groaned through the pain, gripping his spear tighter than before. He tanked the hit like a champ and kicked off from the ground, lunging at the beast before it could fully turn around to face him.
This time, his spear hit its mark. A metallic clang split his ears as he forced the darknut to stagger. This time, it attacked with an armored fist, trying to punch Orca’s jaw. He dipped to the side and dodged the blow, bringing his spear back around. As he moved, he saw the darknut begin to swing its sword again, so he leapt back out of the way.
The heavy steel barely grazed past his tunic as he backstepped. As soon as his feet touched the dirt again, he sprang forward, swinging his spear down as hard as he could. It slammed across the darknut’s shoulder, and the beast let out a distorted grunt. It stumbled back on its feet, but it was still able to strike back.
This time, its sword flew past Orca’s face, leaving a cut across the bridge of his nose. He winced from the pain, but refused to shut his eyes. He couldn’t afford to. He bent forward and lunged again, ramming his shoulder into the darknut’s chest. The beast stumbled down even more, this time stabbing its sword into the earth to stay on balance.
That was just what Orca was waiting for. He was already in position to strike. His spear smacked the darknut’s hand, forcing it to let go. He didn’t hesitate to advance again, pushing it further away from its weapon. Now it was disarmed, and Orca blocked its path back to its sword.
Orca began feeling more confident now that the tide had turned in his favor. He lunged forward again, this time aiming for the darknut’s head. However, it used its armored hands to block the spear, shoving it out of the way as it leaned in for a gut punch. The wind was knocked out of Orca’s lungs as he was lifted off his feet again.
His head grew fuzzy for a moment as he struggled to maintain his balance after that powerful hit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the beast move into the stance for a roundhouse kick. Orca ducked down as low as he could and felt the blow whizz by over his head. He powered through a chill and took a deep breath to fill his lungs.
“BASTARD!” he screamed, rushing forward again.
This time he was prepared to deal with its martial arts. He caught another of its punches with his left hand. The pain was nearly enough to break his arm, but he tanked through it again and continued swinging his spear with his other hand. Finally, he was able to catch it across its face.
The darknut’s helmet spun around so that its visor was on the side of its head. Unable to see, the beast started flailing its limbs, trying to create some distance to fix this. But Orca was too agile for it. He dipped around to its flank and used his spear to cut through the bindings that held its armor together. Metal plates fell around the creature’s feet, its flesh now exposed.
In a last act of desperation, the darknut tried to use its own body to bash Orca, lunging in the direction his strike had come from. But he had outmaneuvered it yet again. He was already on the other side of it, and its chest was wide open. Orca didn’t miss this chance, and ended the fight by plunging his spear through the darknut’s chest.
The monster's body tensed up and went rigid as it grabbed the spear, trying to remove it. Orca pushed it in deeper, forcing more blood to spill from its wounds. After a few more moments of struggling, it suddenly stopped. It let go of the spear, and shakily, it raised its arms up instead. To Orca’s surprise, the darknut removed its helmet for him.
The brute’s face was dark and gruesome, twisted from pain and bloodshed. Its deep red eyes stared at Orca intensely for a few moments, and then it curled its lips up into a toothy, satisfied grin. With that, its head slumped over, and its knees gave out. It seemed to use those last moments of life to thank Orca for a battle well-fought.
Orca yanked his spear out of the beast and watched for a few moments as its body fell over, now motionless on the field. He looked around and saw that all the bokoblins in the area seemed to have pursued Lana and Emilia, as planned. He let out a relieved sigh.
“Man, I’m spent. Now it’s up to those kids.”
With those words, he fell to his bottom, clenching his stomach as the pain was finally catching up to him. He was certain some of his ribs were broken. He wasn't going to be any more use today. Still, he felt confident that he’d done enough.
“Lana is strong as hell. I know she can do this... She is my student, after all.”
Saying as much, he smiled and lay down on his back, trying his best to withstand the agonizing pain and rest.
a a a
“Tough bird, ain’tcha?” Aamali scoffed.
She flapped her arms and panted heavily, high above the chaos taking place on Greatfish Isle. For quite a while she had been engaging helmarocs in aerial combat. Knocking them out of the sky and preventing them from carrying Jasper off was the role she’d chosen to take on. There was only one left, and it was a rather big one.
This particular helmaroc was twice the size of the regular ones. It was also covered in battle scars and armor plating. The winged menace was as quick and agile as any fellow Rito would be. She had landed a few solid hits already, but it refused to fall. It had to be an apex of its kind.
It had locked onto her just as much as she had. They both knew neither could push forward without defeating the other. It was a deadlock. Aamali had seen that the others were fighting their way across Greatfish down below to reach Jasper, so she was desperate to defeat this enemy and regroup with them.
“Just fall already!” she hissed as she commenced her next attack.
With a great thrust of her wings, Aamali darted forward as fast as she could. The helmaroc beat the air with its wings to take off in the opposite direction, and a deadly chase ensued. As Aamali closed in, she swung her legs up to bring her hammer around. Like it were turning a corner, the helmaroc juked out of the way, and Aamali’s hammer only struck air.
She held her wings out straight to stop, and flapped them down with great force in order to change course after it. The two zig-zagged through the air repeatedly. With each missed swing, Aamali tired herself out more. Rito were built for long-distance flight, but that was assuming they weren’t using their muscles this intensely. She would likely run out of stamina before the helmaroc would.
Suddenly, the beastly bird flipped around in the air and sped right toward her, its dangerously sharp talons extended. Each claw was like a blade of its own. Aamali quickly maneuvered into a spin, escaping the helmaroc’s clutches with only a graze on her side. A few of her feathers were cut loose from under her shirt, and drops of her blood came with them.
She groaned and tightened her grip on her hammer. Her feet were getting tired of holding the heavy thing. She’d be at her limit soon. She needed to end this fast, so she clenched her teeth and did the same sharp flip to change direction. She was right up on its back now. She swung as fast as she could and finally landed another hit.
The helmaroc shrieked and staggered through the air, but unfortunately still didn’t fall yet. Aamali clicked her tongue in frustration, and dove in for another blow. The beast recovered quickly, however, and started another frantic chase through the skies.
Aamali was smart enough to know that this helmaroc wasn’t stupid. Unlike its brethren, it showed signs of planning and strategy. The chases were its way of wearing her down. She knew this, but she had to keep on top of it, or it would fly to Jasper. She racked her brain for something she could do to tip the scales in her favor before her strength was completely gone.
"Come on, think! What would Lana do at a time like this...?" she groaned.
Thinking about her clever friend, something clicked in Aamali’s mind. A strategy that Lana might use took shape, though she wasn’t certain if she could pull it off. It would be very risky, but there weren’t many options left. And so, she committed herself to it, with a grin that may have been forecasting her victory.
Aamali broke away from the chase and shot straight up. The helmaroc halted its advance, gazing up on her curiously. Aamali flew higher and higher into the air, eyeing the creature all the while. Just when it looked as though it was going to make for Jasper, Aamali threw her hammer up as hard as she could and dove back down at it with impressive speed.
Now that she wasn’t carrying that heavy weapon, her speed dramatically increased. The helmaroc was startled to see her catch up so quickly. It frantically dipped back and forth, trying to fly erratically enough that Aamali couldn’t home in on it. Unfortunately for it, nothing ruled the skies quite like a Rito.
Aamali reached out with her talons and dug them into the beast’s feathers. It cried in agony and tried to shake her off. The persistent Rito refused to back down and dragged the helmaroc off its course, pulling it away over the harbor. The two grappled with each other, spinning around in the air, plummeting farther down toward the surface. Aamali caught sight of the one thing she was waiting for, a gleam in the corner of her eye. The timing was right.
Using her winged arms, she reached forward and grabbed the helmaroc’s own wings, pulling them back behind itself. She planted her feet firmly on its back and pulled. The helmaroc, now unable to fly, was forced to stretch its body out. It craned its neck, trying to swat Aamali off with its armored head, and then it understood what she was doing. She could feel its hope leave its body as the hammer Aamali had thrown came crashing down through the sky at last, smashing into the helmaroc’s head on the way down. Just as planned.
From that height, with that kind of momentum, Aamali knew the damage would be devastating. And it was. The armored helmet shattered to bits, and from the sound of things, so did the helmaroc’s skull. Its final cry of pain was incredibly short and hollow. She kicked off its back, and it tumbled lifelessly down into the wharf.
Aamali’s hammer had landed with an incredibly loud smack, kicking up a cloud of dust in the sand. She didn’t land so much as she did fall to the ground, feeling completely drained of energy. The wet sand stuck to her feathers as she crawled through it to sit next to her hammer, now stained with the helmaroc’s blood.
“Man, I’m beat... Gonna need a minute or two before I can get back out there...” she panted. “Sure hope no monsters come over here while I rest for a bit.”
She gazed out toward the town, and the sounds of battle and the glow of fires continued to rage on. Whatever was happening, she wanted to hurry and help, but she knew she’d be a liability if she went with no energy.
“This is what Lana would tell me to do... I know they’ll be fine.” Aamali assured herself. “My debt hasn’t been repaired just yet. Don’t you dare die on me, Lana...!”
a a a
Lana and Emilia found themselves back to back in the center of Goponga Village surrounded by bokoblins and moblins, all under the command of a stalfos. The monsters formed an effective wall of flesh, blocking them off from the southwestern cape of the island. It seemed like they absolutely did not want the two of them to head that way.
“You guys! Jasper’s up ahead! I saw him!” Peeks announced as he flew down to the girls.
“Great, we’ve got him cornered now.” Emilia said. “But these guys are being a huge pain in the ass.”
“It’s the stalfos. It's the one leading them.” Lana said, glaring at the beast.
“Then it looks like you get to go on ahead again. I’ll keep these losers busy for you.” Emilia said.
“What? No, you’re injured! Orca was a different story-” Lana tried to protest.
“Huh? You think I can’t do better than that muscle head? Just who the hell do you think I am?” Emilia spat.
Lana bit her lip. It pained her to leave behind someone else again, but strategically, it really was the best option. She couldn’t waste her energy on the small fry. Jasper had to be taken care of, and fast. She relented, and made the best choice she could.
“You’re Emilia, the captain of the pirates that do whatever they want. And right now, this is what you wanna do. So fine.” Lana said. “But please, don’t die. I don’t want to lose any of my friends today, got it?”
Emilia’s jaw dropped a little when she heard that. “Y-you... Damn it, just go. I’m not gonna die, so move it!” she said.
Lana gave her an encouraging smile, and together the girls faced off against the stalfos once more. She had to get past it to reach Jasper. Stalfos were skeletal monsters, said to be the undead remains of past warriors. Malice animated their bones, making them difficult to destroy. She had already shared this knowledge with Emilia, so it was up to the pirate captain to find a way to persevere.
Together, they started running, cutting down any bokoblins that jumped in their path. The stalfos raised its great bony mace over its head, preparing to smash it down on the girls. Lana took advantage of this attack, not dodging until the last second to activate a temporal rush.
Ignoring her splitting headache, Lana moved faster than everyone else could blink, dipping under the stalfos and slashing through one of its legs. She cut through a few more bokoblins before the rush ended, and even while she panted heavily, she sprinted off toward the cape.
The stalfos stumbled over as its leg fell apart, howling in anger. Many enemies tried to chase after Lana, but Emilia leapt over the downed beast and cut them off. Her daggers flying in her hands, she made short work of any monster that dared to get by her. She now stood at the edge of town, becoming a wall in and of herself to keep the monsters away from Lana.
“That was great! Go, Lana!” Peeks cheered.
“Heh... How do you like that? Whatever the hell she just did, she created just the opportunity I needed to turn the tables.” Emilia said. “Now you freaks gotta deal with me. You aren’t taking one step past here!”
The stalfos growled at her, and started raising itself back up. The bones Lana had cut away started moving back into place all on their own, reforming its broken leg. Emilia frowned, realizing that this battle would be a difficult one. The beast’s full height was more than twice her own, and it had no discernable weak points.
Emilia tightened her grip on her daggers. She’d just have to cut it until it didn’t reform. After motioning for Peeks to leave the scene, she charged forward, slashing through even more bokoblins like they were cannon fodder. The stalfos raised its mace up once again, ready to swat her away.
Fortunately for her, the brute was slow. She took advantage of her agility to leap right over its wide swing, and sliced through its ribs with both of her daggers. She kicked off from its chest and backed off for a moment. Disappointingly, the bones she cut away also floated right back into place, as though they hadn’t been cut at all.
Even more bokoblins and moblins rushed at her while it recovered, but there weren’t that many left now. Emilia dipped under the swings of their machetes and spears, cutting through each of them with ease. They weren’t enough to pose a threat to her, even while injured. The enemy forces were dwindling down, at the cost of innumerable corpses littering the island.
The stalfos was unconcerned, perhaps because it seemed so free of death. It waited until there were no other monsters left, allowing Emilia to exhaust herself from battling them. Once the last moblin fell, Emilia stood still, trying to catch her breath. At that moment, the stalfos pounced.
It leapt into the air, crossing the distance to her position surprisingly quickly. Emilia dove out of the way despite her burning muscles, rolling back to her feet as the brute’s mace smashed into the ground. It turned to face her, bringing its weapon around into another swing. Emilia leapt over it and advanced once more.
She dipped forward and cut through both of its legs at once this time. The stalfos fell to its knees and tried to swat her away again. This time, Emilia leapt up and stomped her feet down on the mace. Using it as a stepping stone, she jumped even higher and aimed her daggers for its neck. She wanted to see if that were enough to end the fight.
However, the stalfos’ free arm shot out and grabbed her by the collar. It easily tossed her aside, and she rolled across the ground like a ragdoll to the foot of a broken-down house. She groaned in pain, feeling her older wounds opening back up. She now had several scrapes and a fractured rib to add to that.
The stalfos’ legs were already regenerating. Cursing as she pulled herself back up to her feet, she spat some blood from her lip to the ground. She began to think that aiming for the neck was the right call, since that was the first time it actively stopped her from cutting into it. As the beast lumbered toward her once again, Emilia turned on her heel and dashed up the wall of the building.
Kicking off from the wall as high as she could get, she found herself soaring in the air above the stalfos’s head. It started to swing its mace to knock her down, but she was faster than it was. She threw one of her daggers down, and it wedged itself right into its neckbone. It stopped its swing and appeared to be in pain for the first time throughout the battle.
Emilia continued falling toward the brute, and used her remaining dagger to fully slash her way through its neck. It gurgled dramatically as its body collapsed in on itself. The skull rolled to the ground right at Emilia’s feet. It was still moving, wiggling around like it were struggling to rebuild itself, so she raised her boot up and stomped down as hard as she could.
Once she had crushed the skull, the bones all turned into dust. There would be no coming back from that. Emilia sighed heavily and plopped down on her back right where she stood, dropping her dagger as she went down. She had utterly exhausted herself.
“Good grief, that thing was a massive pain. If only it didn’t take crushing the skull to kill it, I woulda been done long before this...” she complained.
The monsters had been mostly wiped out. No more bokoblins or even moblins stalked Greatfish Isle, and the fires were dying down. The commanding enemies were all defeated, save for Jasper. He was the last threat that remained on the island.
“I’m in too much pain to go help, but that shouldn’t be a problem, should it, Lana? After all... You’re the first person who was brave enough to call me their friend. If you can do that, you can do anything.” Emilia said to herself. “So you’d better not go and die... Win this once and for all, Lana!”
a a a
Lana ran along the dirt road that led out of the village, hearing the sounds of Emilia’s fight behind her. She didn’t look back. She wanted to trust that each of her friends would succeed. The fact that their opponents had not come after her thus far were testament to that.
As she headed for the cape, vivid memories of her life on Greatfish Isle rushed to the surface. This was the road she would always take to and from town. The simple dirt road and grassy surroundings had since been heavily trampled underfoot by monsters. It wasn’t long until her house came into view, too.
It was nothing like it had been when she left. The whole building had collapsed in on itself, smoldering in still-burning fires. It was utterly unrecognizable. Beyond where it sat on the cape was the small beach where she learned to fish and played with her parents. Standing there, facing out to see, was Jasper, an enemy to her, her family, and everything she loved.
Seeing him standing in the ashes of her home brought her bloodlust to the surface in full force. She had never in her life wanted to kill more than she did in that moment. She stopped running and clutched her heart, trying her best not to get swept away in a fit of rage. Killing Jasper was absolutely necessary, but it wasn’t just for her own satisfaction.
He was a menace to the Great Sea and everything that lived on it. He had made himself as such when he decided to pillage and kill for his own selfish desires, and he had no intention of stopping. There was no other option left. It had to come to this. A kill or be killed battle to the death. Lana slowly approached the King of all monsters and silently brandished her sword.
“So, you’ve come. I knew you would.” Jasper said without turning around. “I’ve ravaged your home and threatened your parents. I was close to taking away everything you love. So naturally, you’d want to come to kill me.”
At last he turned to face Lana, and the expression on his face was unlike anything she’d ever seen. His eyes were empty and hateful, and his lips didn’t form a single shape. It was as though he were hollow.
“I must admit, I feel exactly the same way.” he continued. “You’ve stolen from me. You destroyed my fort, nearly bringing an end to everything I’ve built up for over six decades. And now here you stand, still preventing me from acquiring the things I desire. My hate for you is unsurpassed. In my many long years, I have never wanted for anything the way I now want for your life.”
“I’ve already told you twice. This is the last time I’m going to say it. You will never get anything you want, ever again.” Lana rasped. “The only thing I want right now is for my family to be safe, and for that to happen, you have to die, Jasper. And today, I’m going to get what I want.”
Jasper’s rage was palpable. He gripped the hilt of his sword, seething with anger. His beady eyes were focused on Lana, as though she were now the only thing he could see. It appeared he had gotten some spare gear from his minions, since he had a shield again and the armor on his tunic had been repaired. He also seemed to have tended to the wounds he got in their earlier fight. He was back in top shape.
Lana grabbed the bottom of her hilt with her left hand, holding it firmly at the ready with both. She had two of each type of magic arrow left, as well as around twenty regular arrows. She had her estoc, her deku leaf, and she had the Wind Waker. There was nothing more she could do to prepare. She was ready. It was time to end this.
They both moved at the same time, charging straight for each other. Their swords crashed together in a frightening display of sparks, each pushing against each other. Jasper was able to shove Lana back, and she skidded in the sand to a rough stop.
Jasper lunged forward again, intending to bash her with his shield. Lana waited until the last second to dodge, initiating a temporal rush as she leapt backwards. In that same motion, she spun around in a full circle, sheathing her sword and drawing her bow and a fire arrow. She pulled back, and as the rush ended, she let it fly.
The fire arrow exploded across Jasper’s shield, but he withstood the burns and continued charging forward. Lana had to duck and roll out of his way. On her way back up, she drew an ice arrow and nocked it. She leapt backward and fired at Jasper’s head, intending for the cold to end his brain activity.
He ducked under the arrow, dodging it completely. The streak of ice sailed uselessly into the distance. He charged for Lana again, this time swinging his sword. She waited until the last second to dodge again, getting grazed in the process. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she triggered another temporal rush and used that opening to dash toward the small ledge where her house had once stood.
Lana dashed up the ledge and leapt off from the top, still holding her bow in her left hand. Jasper was already pursuing her, so she once again drew her bow in midair, nocking her last fire arrow. From that position in her freefall, she was able to do another temporal rush, at the cost of a vicious headache. She could hardly aim properly.
This time, she flipped around in the air and fired the arrow straight up. Then, she quickly put away her bow and ended the rush by grabbing the edges of her deku leaf. She flapped her arms with great force, kicking up a gust of wind and soaring right under the arc of Jasper’s next sword strike.
Jasper turned on his heel, preparing to continue chasing Lana down, but when she landed, she pulled out the Wind Waker and swung it in his direction. An intense gale whirled past Lana and pushed against Jasper, preventing him from advancing for a few moments. While that wind was still steadily blowing, Lana drew her bow again and nocked her final ice arrow.
As soon as she fired, Jasper held up his shield to block it, but that was fine. This time, her aim was something different. The gale force wind created the perfect timing she was waiting for. As soon as that ice arrow hit his shield, the fire arrow she’d fired a second ago fell from the sky, hitting the same spot.
The two opposing magical energies erupted violently when they clashed together against Jasper’s shield. Freezing and burning air mixed together, painfully searing away at anything that was caught in the explosion. That naturally included Jasper’s flesh. His screams of agony filled the evening air, as did the ear-splitting sound of the chain reaction.
Lana winced from the sound of it, but drew her sword again and rushed forward all the same. Jasper, though in severe pain, tossed the battered remains of his shield at her. Lana side-stepped past it and continued her advance, forcing Jasper into blocking her strike with his sword.
The damage he’d suffered sapped his strength effectively, as Lana had much less trouble pushing him back against the ledge. As her sword grinded down against his, she was ready to knock it back and end his life once and for all. But Jasper was still as tenacious as ever, and managed to land a solid kick right in Lana’s gut.
She choked on her own spit and staggered backwards, clutching her stomach with her free hand. Jasper managed to collect himself and rushed forward again, delivering a fierce punch to Lana’s cheek. She hit the sand hard enough for the grains to scrape her skin, and had to quickly roll out of the way when he stabbed his sword down into it.
Lana leapt to her feet and wiped the blood off her lip. She felt dizzy from that blow, but she didn’t have the time to collect herself. Jasper was already chasing her down again. She decided to meet him in another head on clash, and the two exchanged several blows over and over again.
Ducking under and parrying a flurry of sword strikes was difficult for the both of them. Neither got away without several cuts across their arms and chests. Lana waited for another chance to initiate a temporal rush, jumping back before Jasper’s sword dug into her flesh.
However, he seemed to predict it this time. He jumped back at the same time she did, forcing her to use the rush’s timeframe to close the gap. Her failed attempt left her with a headache that was only growing worse. She found herself off-balance again, and Jasper swung his arm to knock her down once more.
She was too dazed to roll out of the way this time. She’d overused her temporal rushes, and her heart was pounding so hard it was highly difficult to breathe. Her head hurt so much she was seeing double. When Jasper brought his sword down again, she had no choice but to block it from that position.
Jasper forced Lana down into the sand, stomping on her stomach as he shoved his sword. Lana coughed up bits of blood mixed with spit, trying her best to keep her arms from giving out. Her vision was beginning to fade, and she didn’t have the strength to push him off. All the while, he continued to grind his boot into her gut, squeezing the life further out of her.
- Come on, not like this! After everything that’s happened, I refuse to let this monster kill me here! There’s still so much I want to tell everyone! Still so much I want to do! No... I am not...
“I am not... done yet...!” Lana commanded herself.
She knew there was no way to get out of this unscathed. She clenched her teeth, knowing the pain would be intense. She shifted her sword so that she could start to sit up, and as a result, his blade dug into her left arm. She screamed from the cutting feedback, tears stinging her eyes. She nearly bit her own tongue. But, she managed to hold it together, and sacrificed the use of her left arm to rise up and slice through Jasper’s right.
“AAAAARGH!” Jasper roared.
Lana’s arm was still attached, though she could no longer move it. Jasper couldn’t say the same about his, though. His whole arm from the elbow down, still gripping his sword, crashed to the ground with a fountain of blood. He stumbled backward, desperately trying to stem the flow with his remaining hand. His cries were harrowing.
“You... My arm... You wench...!” he howled.
“I’m not done with you yet... It’s time for you to pay for everything you’ve done!” Lana declared.
Jasper tried to turn and run, but there was nowhere left he could run to. The oceans were off-limits thanks to Jabun, and Lana saw that thanks to Aamali, there was not a single helmaroc left in the sky. He was well and truly done. The only thing that remained was to finish the deed.
In her mind, she recalled the time she told Emilia that she preferred not to kill, but knew that sometimes there was no choice. She remembered the first time she’d killed a monster in the Forbidden Woods, and how it felt for her to have its life on her hands. She even thought back to the first time she was able to fillet a fish for herself.
All those years she’d spent looking away from death had brought her to this moment. It was a part of life she’d been forced to accept, but she still refused to compromise on her morals. She was not going to kill unless she had to. And today, she had to. This time, there was no hesitation whatsoever.
Her left arm hung at her side, limp and bleeding profusely. But she only needed one arm to do the job. She dashed toward the fleeing Jasper, who was howling and tripping over himself in a bloody mess. He tumbled down to his knees, clawing at the sand to get even a little bit further away from Lana. But, it was no use. She had cornered him at the small ledge. He was tall enough to slump over it, his back turned to her.
He was struggling to climb up in futility. “Please... Don’t do this! I’m still... I’m... I must be...!” he cried, scratching at the grass at the top of the ledge with his remaining hand.
“It’s over. Today, I’ve finally gotten what I want.” Lana said coldly.
It happened in the blink of an eye. One single swipe of her sword to the back of his neck, and it was over. Jasper’s head rolled onto the grass on the ledge, and stopped as though it were staring up at Lana’s family home. At long last, the Pirate King was dead.
Lana didn’t move for a little while. She could only stare at her handiwork. The blood continued to spill even after Jasper had stopped moving. Her sword was stained with his life, the very life she had taken from him. She didn’t know how to feel in this moment. She tried to think of something that would tell her the answer.
Jasper was dead at last. That meant whatever remaining monsters there were would likely give up the fight. That meant the people of Greatfish Isle, especially her parents, were safe. The long and hard battle was finished. She’d done what she promised to do and protected her family.
She supposed there was only one way to feel about that. Relief. She flicked her blade to remove as much of the blood as she could, but she couldn’t get it all off. She figured she’d have to clean it thoroughly later, and sheathed it. Next she had to tend to her arm. She still couldn’t feel it at all, except for the pain.
As she tried her best to bandage it with whatever cloth she had on her, she heard a parade of footsteps approaching. Her first instinct was to think it was more monsters, but luckily, it wasn’t. It was the villagers, Emilia’s crew, and the battle-worn fighters. Naturally, her parents were with them. They each stared in amazement, looking back and forth from Lana and Jasper’s dead body.
“You see, guys! I told you! Lana defeated Jasper! She’s so amazing!” Peeks cheered.
The excited korok flew over and buried his face in Lana’s chest. She held him with her right arm and smiled. Orca, Aamali, and Emilia all ran over to see her, and so did Lenzo. The fighters all had their share of wounds, but none of them were as severe as hers.
“I knew you could do it! That’s my student for you!” Orca said, patting her back.
“Lana, you’re just... Wow! You’re so awesome! You’re the best!” Aamali gushed.
“Looks like you kept your word. Good job, you.” Emilia said, grinning her usual grin.
“Absolutely extraordinary! I only wish I had brought my pictobox with me! What a splendid pictograph this would make...” Lenzo rambled.
“You guys... Thank you so much. Because of all of you, we did it! We defeated Jasper and the Forsaken Pirates once and for all! Really, thank you...” Lana said.
The tired heroine leaned forward, and Orca and Aamali caught her between themselves. The group huddled together and shared a heartfelt embrace, save for Emilia who didn’t want to be a part of something so mushy. Then, Lana’s parents ran over and joined in.
“My gull, you’ve really done it! I’m so proud of you!” Manolo said.
“Oh, but honey, you’re hurt! Are you... Are you okay?” Sofia asked.
“Not really, but I can live with it.” Lana said. “The important thing is, you guys are safe.”
“And so are you. That’s the most important thing of all.” Manolo said as he smiled at his brave daughter.
“Holy smokes, she really beat him...” Renny said, staring in awe at the results of the battle.
“I can’t believe this is really the same Lana...” Margo said.
“Really, what in the world have you been doing?”
Faced with such a question, Lana couldn’t respond right away. Her adventures flashed through her mind, as did her departure and her goals and dreams. There was no simple explanation for everything. The only thing she could do was force a wry smile and an awkward laugh.
“Ahah, well... It’s kind of a long story.”
Five days passed by, filled with rest and hard work in equal proportions. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, there was not a single casualty. Some called it a miracle, but others knew better. It was a direct result of hard work. The villagers and Emilia’s crew worked together to cart off the remains of the monsters, as well as to slay any stragglers. They were all piled up together in the eastern inlet and in the center of town, and then burned until there was nothing left. That was the most efficient way to clean up the aftermath.
As the townsfolk and pirates worked together to start reconstruction, the valiant fighters all convalesced in a makeshift tent in the town proper. Orca did indeed have broken ribs, Aamali had to get the cut on her side stitched up, Emilia was severely battered and bruised, and according to the town doctor, Lana would likely never fully regain use of her left arm.
That part was a bitter pill to swallow. Lana was able to move her fingers, but making a fist with her left hand was now beyond her capabilities. She also had difficulty raising it. She tried to play it off as a worthy sacrifice, but deep down, it wasn’t that cut and dry for her. Never being able to fully use that arm again was certain to be a major adaption.
Thankfully, the others’ injuries were much more manageable. Even Emilia was back on her feet by the second day. Orca had to admit she’d outdone him in that regard. She personally oversaw the reconstruction efforts, splitting some of the work away to repair her own ship without hindering the town’s progress. By the third day, she had half the homes back up with roofs. The farmland was a different story, though. The villagers were going to need a while to sort that one out.
During her recovery time, Lana’s parents visited her frequently, bringing some of that nostalgic home cooking with them. Even the townsfolk stopped by when they could. Many of them expressed sincere apologies for how they used to treat her, while others were still unable to believe she was the same girl. It was almost unsettling how much her actions had changed their attitude toward her and her family.
At long last, she was able to have that talk with her parents about what she’d been doing since she left. The entire town listened in one evening, almost like it were some kind of grand show. Predictably, it was difficult for a lot of them to swallow. But before long, Lana’s tales of disasters and adventures sunk in, and by the next morning, she was a bonafide hero to the entire island.
Sofia also finally explained about the zam spell. Unbeknownst to Manolo, she had brought it with them when they left their motherland in case of an emergency. She’d held onto it herself until the day Lana supposedly drowned as a child. That night, she’d cast the spell on her sleeping daughter, and it would only activate upon fatal damage. She showed Lana how to remove it; placing a hand over her heart and chanting the word “zam”. It took on the form of a small, purple crystal with black intricate writing. She could still hardly believe she’d had it nearly her entire life without ever knowing.
Finally, everyone was back on their feet again. This marked the thirty-first day of Lana’s journey, and the time came to make a decision. Would it continue, or would she stay content to live with her family on Greatfish Isle once more? The night before, she had a long discussion with her parents about it, and finally, she made her choice.
The dawn of the thirty-first day came around quietly. Most of the work on the buildings had finished, so the townsfolk were all plowing the fields, salvaging what they could and starting anew. Lana’s first stop was to visit Aamali and Peeks, who were together in the center of the village. They were bonding over how they both lived to serve a Great Spirit.
“Oh, here comes Lana!” Peeks said.
“Hey! How’s your arm?” Aamali asked.
“Totally numb. This is gonna take some getting used to...” she said. “How about you? All better now?”
“Fit as a fiddle, thanks to the doctor! I’m good to go now.” she answered.
“I am, too! I’ve gotta get back to work spreading the Great Deku Tree’s seeds!” Peeks said.
“And I’ve gotta get home. Dad’s probably worried sick about me. I’ve got some explaining to do about these stitches when I get back, haha...” Aamali said.
Lana smiled. “Thank you both so much, really. I never could have succeeded if you hadn’t come with me.”
“Hey, you’ve thanked us enough already, really.” Aamali said. “Besides, I owed you for saving my life and helping my people. I’m not quite ready to call this a debt repaired, but...”
“Nonsense. You helped save my family and my entire home. That’s more than repaid, in my eyes.” Lana assured her. “Really, thank you. I mean it.”
Aamali’s eyes got all watery, and she leaned forward to pull Lana into a hug. “I’m really gonna miss you, you know. Good luck with everything. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Peeks leaned in for the hug, too. “I’ll never forget you, Lana! You’ll always be a friend of the forest! Stay safe out there, you hear?”
Lana returned the hugs, tearing up herself. “I’ll never forget you guys, either. I’ll carry our memories with me for the rest of my life. Thank you again for everything.”
With those parting words, the two fliers took off into the sky. Peeks headed north, likely back to Windfall to resume what he had been doing when they reunited. Aamali flew northeast, back to Dragon Roost Island. Lana watched them until she couldn’t see them anymore, and then wiped her eyes. There were still more goodbyes to be said.
Next, she came across Orca and Lenzo together in the harbor. They’d managed to drag his boat out from its hiding place behind the rocks and pulled it up to the docks. He was going to give Lenzo a lift back home before he headed home himself. When they saw Lana approaching, they each broke out into a huge smile.
“Hey, look who it is! It’s the heroine herself!” Orca teased.
“Haha, yes, the heroine indeed!” Lenzo chimed in.
“Guys, come on... Don’t you start, too.” Lana said, blushing. “It’s already weird enough that the villagers all call me their hero.”
“Well, what else would we call you? You’re a total badass who saved the whole island.” Orca said.
“Indeed, your actions are worthy of being called a hero. You certainly are one to me.” Lenzo agreed.
Lana pouted to show them she didn’t want the conversation to continue. The boys laughed and changed the subject for her. “So anyway, yeah, I’m gonna take this guy home and then I’m going back to Outset. I’m sure my brother probably thinks I’ve gone and gotten myself killed by now.” Orca explained.
“Say hi to Sturgeon and Anna for me, okay? And tell Anna the tunic she gave me saved my life in the Forbidden Woods.” Lana said.
“Will do. You’ve been a wonderful student, Lana, and it was an honor to teach you and help you reach your full potential. I’ll never forget this experience.” Orca said.
Lana smiled warmly, and removed the Knight’s Crest from her belt. “Then let’s make sure of that. Take this with you. It’s yours.”
“Wha? But... I already told you, I don’t deserve it...” he said.
“You do. You helped me save my home and my family. You stuck your neck out to fight for me. You’ve more than earned it. And you were the only reason I picked it up in the first place. Please take it, Master Orca.” she said.
Orca’s eyes welled up. He bit his bottom lip like he was trying to hold the tears in. “Th-thank you... I’ll gladly accept a parting gift from the best student in the world.”
Lenzo grinned and put his arms around their shoulders. “What a heartfelt goodbye. Good stuff, good stuff!” he joked, imitating the time when Orca did that to him and Lana. They got a good laugh out of that.
“Thank you for coming with me, too, Lenzo. You were a big help. Don’t tell yourself otherwise just because you couldn’t fight, got it?” Lana said.
“I promise I won’t. I know better than that now, thanks to you. I swear I'll continue to work to make Windfall a better place. If you ever do come back, I hope you like what you find there.” Lenzo said.
“Windfall is in good hands with you, I know it.” Lana said. “Goodbye, you guys. Thank you again so much. I’ll miss you!”
With that, the boys departed on Orca’s boat. Lana stood on the pier, waving to them until they vanished on the horizon. She felt like crying, knowing she’d never see them again, but she had to hold it together. There were still other goodbyes to make. She headed on to her next destination, walking all the way across the island to the eastern inlet.
When she arrived, preparations for Emilia’s Pirates to leave were already well underway. Renazo spotted Lana coming down the slope and called out to his captain. He got kicked in the leg for his trouble as Emilia grumbled down to the sand to meet with her.
“Yeah?” she said, already sounding choked up.
Lana had to hold in a laugh. “I have something I need to return to you.” she said, slipping the gossip stone off of her wrist.
“Oh, right, you had the other one...” she said. For a moment, it looked as though she hesitated to take it back. But she snatched it from Lana’s hands nonetheless. “Good job on not losing it.”
“Well, you said you’d kill me if I did.” Lana teased. “If it weren’t for you, I would have never known that my home was under attack. Thank you for being here to stop it, and for calling me to help.”
“You... Damn it, why’d you go and say that?” Emilia said. “If I didn’t think to come here in the first place, Jasper probably wouldn’t have found out your parents lived here. This whole mess is my fault, you got it? You shouldn’t be so damn nice to me.”
“You did say I shouldn’t thank pirates when we first met.” Lana said. “But this time is okay. I’m not thanking a pirate, I’m thanking a friend.”
Emilia’s face flushed with color. “Wh... You... Ugh, I... Ugh! You’re unbelievable!”
Lana couldn’t hold in her laughter anymore, which only made Emilia angry. The pair wrestled for a bit, before finally, Emilia started laughing, too.
“Damn, what the hell even are you, anyway? Jeez... I’m gonna have a hard time forgetting you.” Emilia said.
“I know I’ll never be able to forget you. You were the first person who extended their hand to me on my journey, even if you only did it on a whim. You’re the reason I ever made it this far. Thank you so much for everything, Emilia.” Lana said.
Emilia’s laughter settled down, and she faced Lana directly now, as a friend. “Yeah, it’s been real, Lana. Best damn decision on a whim I’ve ever made. You take care, alright? Don’t expect me to come save you again.”
“I promise I won’t need it next time. Goodbye, Emilia!”
With that, the two parted ways once more. Emilia returned to her ship, and her crew set sail. As the ship pulled out of the inlet, the pirates all waved goodbye to her and cheered for her. Every last one of them, including Emilia.
Lana waved back, watching them sail away and out of her life for good. She was starting to reach her breaking point, but she still wasn’t done yet. Saying goodbye while knowing it's the last one was always difficult for her. Still, she had to keep going. Her next stop was Jabun’s cove. She had an old friend to visit.
When she arrived, it was eerily quiet. Only the sound of the waves could be heard. The great stone wall that blocked off the cave was still intact, but the ocean outside of the cove bubbled and roiled. Sensing her presence, Jabun rose up from the sea to greet her.
“Hello, Oshus. Or should I call you Jabun?” Lana said.
The Great Spirit looked down on her with sad eyes. One of its whiskers extended out from its face, touching Lana’s forehead. She began to hear the voice of the man she’d known fill her mind.
“I am sorry for never telling you the truth, Lana. I was keeping my identity a secret from the entire village, borrowing the guise of an old friend to observe how the islanders lived. In truth, I regret not taking a more active role. If I had shown my true form to the villagers, surely they would have stopped harassing you and your family.”
“It’s not your fault, Oshus. You’ve got a role to fulfil as a Great Spirit. I know you don’t always have the luxury of choice. Having met the other two, I can say you all are saddled with a responsibility I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand. But let me just say this... Thank you for being my friend. Growing up with you watching out for me means more to me than I could ever say.” Lana told him.
Jabun’s eyes sparkled as they looked down at her. “Your kindness is ever a pleasure to behold. I am so proud of the young woman you’ve become. Watching your growth was truly the highlight of my years spent in observation. As the Great Spirit of the ocean, I will continue to watch over you for as long as you sail on these waters.”
“Thank you so much, Osh- Uh, Jabun. Heh, sorry... Thank you.” Lana said.
“Call me what you wish. Great Spirit I may be, but you will always be a treasured friend.”
“Thank you, Oshus. I’ll really miss you.”
Jabun seemed to smile at her as he receded back underwater. A blue light gleamed from below the surface, and then traveled through the cove and slipped under the wall that blocked off the cave. It seemed he had returned to his proper place at last. Lana wiped her eyes as she remembered the time she and Oshus had come to pray at this spot, the day she first left.
- Your prayers will always be with me. Thank you, friend.
Finally, there was only one stop left to make. She’d promised to meet her parents at their family home before leaving. The townsfolk, in their gratitude to her, gifted her the best boat they had. They even gave her father a new fishing dinghy, his old one having sunk in the chaos of the battles.
Lana’s new boat sat alongside her fathers at their little cape. It was twice the size of his, with plenty of storage space below deck, a pulley system to control the sail, and the kind of steering gear she liked. It was the best she could ask for. She giggled to herself, remembering how much they’d fawned over her when they gave it to her. Quite a turnaround from their past behavior. She felt confident that her parents would have better lives from then on.
And there they stood, waiting for her on the beach, just as they did on her first departure day. Manolo and Sofia smiled widely when they saw their daughter approaching. Lana couldn’t hold herself back and ran straight into their arms, embracing them both tightly.
“We’ve said it all before, my gull. I’m so very proud of you.” Manolo said.
“I know that things will be different for you this time. You can do this.” Sofia said.
“Is it really okay? After everything that happened, is it right for me to keep trying?” Lana said, starting to cry.
“Of course it is, honey. It’s what your heart wants. You’ve got to follow it.” her mother said, stroking her hair.
“To be without you is painful, but knowing that you’re seeking your dreams is the greatest happiness a parent can ask for.” her father said, squeezing her in his arms.
“And so is knowing that you’ll be safe. I don’t think there’s a single thing left on the Great Sea that could stand a chance against our daughter now.” Sofia said, smiling.
“Too true. You’ve grown so much this past month. There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it, Lana. I know you will find our motherland.” Manolo said.
Lana sniffed. “You’re right... Thank you both for always supporting me. I love you so much.”
“And we love you.” Manolo said.
“Now go out there and finish your journey.” Sofia said.
Lana gave them one last hug for good measure before finally separating from them, one last time. She climbed aboard her new boat and checked to make sure everything was in order. It was fully stocked with food and water supplies, as well as protection against inclement weather and a sea chart to help her find her way.
On her person, Lana carried her estoc, her deku leaf, and her bow and arrows. She also still held the Wind Waker, and the zam spell was tucked safely in her satchel. There was nothing more she could do to prepare, and she had said all of her goodbyes. It was mid-afternoon, and the wind was at her back. It was prime time to set out.
Lana unfurled the sail, and it caught the wind splendidly. Her father had already painted a new huarere on this one, but now there was no need to worry about that, since those who sought it were now gone from the Great Sea. Now it could finally serve its purpose as a fair weather charm, and a reminder of home.
Manolo and Sofia cried their eyes out as they waved goodbye to their daughter. They knew this would be the last time they ever saw her. They knew she would succeed this time. Just as they’d said, there was nothing left that could stop her. And Lana knew it, too. The fire in her heart couldn’t be doused with farewell tears. She had a journey to finish, and nothing was going to slow her down anymore.
And yet, there was still one final loose end. Once Lana had sailed out of Greatfish’s local waters, she had an encounter. On the horizon ahead of her appeared a vividly red boat, with the crested mane of a lion adorning its bow. Lana smiled heartily when she saw it, and furled her sail so she could pull up next to it.
“Hello, King.” Lana greeted.
“Hello, Lana.” the King of Red Lions said. “You doubtless know that I watched the whole thing from your gossip stone. Do I even need to say it? You and your friends were absolutely amazing. Just as expected, of course.”
“Thank you for saying so. It’s comforting to know you continued to watch over me.” Lana said. “But now I’ve returned the gossip stone to its rightful owner, so that won’t be happening anymore...”
“Indeed. It is a shame, but that’s how it must be. Speaking of which...” he began.
“Yeah, I know. You’re here for this, right?” Lana said, removing the Wind Waker from her belt.
“Indeed. I am grateful for your understanding.” King said, taking it in his mouth and vanishing it just as he’d done before.
“You’re such a mystery, as always.” Lana said. “But you’re one of the best friends and allies I’ve made on this journey. It really means a lot that you’ve continued to stick around for me, even after our business together was finished. I can never thank you enough.”
“I share the same feelings. You have been an invaluable companion to me, Lana. And I must thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Because of you, the Great Sea is safe and ready to accept the Legendary Hero in the future. My debt to you can never be fully repaid.”
“Haha, seems like we’re both in debt to each other... What can we do about that? I’d hate to leave you on uncertain terms.” Lana said.
“... Perhaps I have an idea.” King said.
Then, his body began glowing in an eerie blue light. It took Lana by surprise and reminded her of the ethereal flames she’d seen surrounding the ghost ship. To her amazement, the visage of an elderly man appeared, hovering in the air above the wooden hull of the boat. He was very fancily-dressed, had a large white beard, and even wore a crown on his head. His robes were the same red color as the boat.
“I can say goodbye to you in my true form. I am Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, king of a land long since gone from this world, swallowed under the Great Sea.” he reintroduced himself.
Lana's mouth hung agape. She didn’t really know how to react. King was actually a real king, or at least the ghost of one? She didn’t see that coming at all, though in retrospect, she felt like she should have.
“So that’s what you really look like... Wow.” she said. “Somehow, this makes so much sense, and at the same time, I feel like my head’s going to explode...”
“Hahah, yes, I understand what you mean...” King Daphnes said. “I am sorry if I shocked you. However, I felt as though I owed you this much. I wanted you to know the truth about me before you left.”
“Thank you for doing that. I really appreciate it. Now I kind of see why you do what you do. All for the Legendary Hero...” Lana said. “You really are amazing. I’m glad to have known you, King. Thank you for everything.”
“You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth, Lana. I wish you luck and success on your journey. Looking at the person you are now, I have the utmost confidence in you. Godspeed, and safe travels, my dear friend.”
And so, the visage of King Daphnes vanished back into the hull of the King of Red Lions. The head of the lion smiled at Lana warmly, and then slowly drifted off into the distance. This was truly their final goodbye. And with that, there was not a single loose end left. Nothing remained to tie her to the Great Sea. She was finally fully ready.
This time, Lana didn’t watch him until she could no longer see him. She looked ahead to her own horizon line, and unfurled the sail once more. She stood up on the deck of her ship, gazing up at the wispy white clouds in the sky. She shut her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves. She allowed the wind to blow through her hair, relishing the soft touch of the breeze. She breathed deeply in through her nose, and when she exhaled, she opened her eyes and looked straight ahead, sailing on to reach her destiny.
Everything she’d been through on this journey had made her strong. From one disaster to the next, from one adventure to the next, from every fight and every quest, from every person she met, she gained something precious and irreplaceable. Lana was not the same girl she was when she first set out. Now she was more herself than she’d ever been before.
She was a fisherman once. She was also a voyager. She discovered that she was a Wind Waker. And she had become a hero. But, despite all that, she was still Lana Kaimi. And that was what she’d chosen to be. From that day on, Lana was herself above all else. And that was just how she’d find her motherland.
“Alright, here I come. I’ll find it, wherever it is.”
That said, there's still one final addition of content that's going to come after this! Look forward to it, and buckle in for the ride, because this chapter is the single longest piece I have ever written!Chapter Thirty
A Fisherman, A Voyager, A Wind Waker, and A Hero
x x x
A Fisherman, A Voyager, A Wind Waker, and A Hero
I was born different from other moblins. This fact was obvious to me from a young age.
- - -
Howling wind. Roiling ocean. Crackling fires. The only sounds to be heard on the lonely jut of rock sticking out of the sea. The newly born moblin sat on the wet, cold ground, staring into the horizon. Its stomach grumbled, its skin was dirty, and its mind was still forming. Yet, it did not cry. Instinctually, it knew that would not do any good. Its needs could not be met by crying. It knew, once that mind began turning, that it must take action.
- - -
Upon birth, a moblin is entirely on their own. No one is there to care for it, no one is there to feed it or teach it. Everything must be taken. Otherwise, all that awaits them is a quick death. No one will mourn. No one will wish they had done something. Not its own kind, and least of all any residents of the Great Sea.
To live means to take. This truth was drilled into me in my first battle. I was still young and inexperienced with fighting. I had already made some allies among my fellow moblins, and we had set out to sea to find something to feed us. We ran across a ship manned by humans, and they didn’t hesitate to exterminate us, just as we didn’t hesitate to exterminate them.
- - -
“Slaughter them all!”
“Don’t let a single one of the beasts get away!”
Steel split flesh in two as men bellowed orders. Moblins roared as they charged forward, determined to kill and take what they could. They leapt from one ship to the other, bringing blood and tears of agony back and forth. Smoke began to fill the air as the ships burned. Despite their choking lungs, neither side refused to stop spilling blood.
Only one pair of eyes watched from afar. Hungry, yet cautious, the moblin observed the violence. It wondered why.
- - -
I was the only survivor. I can still hear the battle cries my brethren sang as they leapt out into the fray. I can still hear how their bones crunched and the sound of their blood splattering on the deck of the ship. I watched from a safe distance in the crow’s nest as my fellow moblins were cut down, one by one. Each of them managed to take a human down with them, but there were more of them than there were of us. There always were.
I only survived because I didn’t attack. I fled into a lifeboat. They fired upon me with their ship’s cannons, but I avoided their shots through sheer luck. I escaped on my own with nothing. I had failed to acquire food, and my allies were dead. There is no sorrow to be had over loss in our world, but still, I was angry. I was livid, even. Absolutely seething.
- - -
Cold, wet, and alone once more, the moblin washed up on the island from whence it came. It tried to hold itself up, but tired and spasming muscles in its arms forced it down. The sea spray only served to mask the true purpose of its shivering. The moblin’s eyes looked forward, but it only saw red. The red of blood and anger and futility. Furiously slamming its fits on the rock, it howled into the crying wind for an answer.
- - -
I was angry, yes. But not at the humans for killing them. That was natural. I’d do the same thing in their position. No, the reason I was so angry was because of the utter incompetence displayed by my allies. Our misfortune of encountering humans meant a battle was inevitable. However, the damn fools just charged in like rabid beasts. They did not even stop to see how many of them there were. It was as though they had no sense of self preservation.
Why was I able to see something they could not? I was a moblin, too, wasn’t I? They died for nothing because they were foolish and stupid. I was angry because I knew I was a moblin just as they were. I loathed being associated with such brutish stupidity. But why? Was I simply born that way?
As the years passed, I began to think there was something different about me. Something better. Something special. Perhaps even something important or unique. The more I surveyed a situation before engaging, the better my allies and I fared. Before long, word passed around monsterkind that if one were to stick with me, success and fortune were to follow. Soon, I had amassed an impressive following of monsters, bokoblins and moblins alike. We even managed to claim an old, abandoned fort as our turf. I became less angry, but I didn’t get any happier.
- - -
Merriment and song filled the air, drowning out the sounds of the wind and sea at last. What was once empty and lonely had become bursting full of life and activity. Bokoblins guzzled down spirits and wine while moblins gorged themselves on smoked meats and fish. The cheer radiating from the monstrous party was not lost on the angry moblin. For the first time in its life, it knew the pleasure of good company. And yet, it wasn’t enough.
- - -
My station in life hadn’t changed. In the end, I was still a monster, and thus marked for immediate extermination on sight by anything that wasn’t a monster. I don’t think this is unjustified. Monsters would do the same to anyone else, after all. I never cared to change this kill or be killed lifestyle. That part I was fine with.
What I wasn’t fine with, however, was my lot in life. As a moblin, there was so much in the world I would never have. A comfortable bed. A consistent source of food. Influence on my surroundings. A purpose beyond killing and eating. Most of all, control over my own destiny. But the humans had all that. They had that and more, just handed to them upon birth simply by virtue of being human.
- - -
A chalice of wine shattered against the floor. Purple fluid stained the stone like a splatter of blood. A broken desk soon joined it. The wood left splinters in its assailant, the once-lonely moblin. It still wasn’t enough. It was never enough. A deep hole remained in its heart the more it thought about what it couldn’t have. It was unfair. It was insatiable. What was this?
- - -
My anger had changed to jealousy, red hot emotion turned sickly green. Why did they get to have everything so easily? What made them so special? There was nothing I could get that I didn’t have to take for myself, unlike them. What did I lack that could have made me the same way? I wanted it, whatever it was.
So I thought, I should just take it, then. I should take it for myself, that thing that I lacked. I didn’t know what it was, so I just took everything I could get my hands on. The thing that would finally give me the self-determination and worth I had been so obscenely jealous of would surely show itself to me if I did that, given time.
I did everything I could to encourage the process. I stole hordes of books and forced myself to read them until I had them all memorized. I practiced the hylian tongue for hours and hours and hours, for so many weeks and months, that I had nearly worn away all the muscles in my jaw. I used hot irons and mallets to hammer out the gait in my legs so I could stand up straight. I bleached my skin with chemicals until it turned a desirable shade of pink. I even tattooed myself with the visage of a human skeleton. All of this I did to make myself closer to being human, closer to them, to help me find what I wanted to find.
Along the way, I began to think that perhaps owning everything there was to own would be that something. Who else had ever owned everything in the world? If I could do that, if I could just prove that even a moblin could do something no one had ever done before, then maybe... Just maybe, the unquenchable thirst that had driven me mad for decades would finally be satisfied. I would finally have achieved my own destiny.
- - -
Merriment had been replaced with fear and awe. The once old fort had been repurposed, filled with weapons and monsters and avarice. Even its fellow moblins stood at attention, smitten with its accomplishments. Bokoblins gossiped about how it had crossed the boundary into manhood. It had become a moblin yet unsurpassed by monsterkind. A true paragon among its brethren. At long last, the moblin that was once alone had begun to fill the void.
- - -
Yes, that is just what I had to do. I would become the moblin that rose up as “King” of all pirates and monsters, who owned everything on the Great Sea. Then I would finally want for nothing, because I would have everything. I would finally be somebody. That is what I convinced myself.
That is what I am. I am not a moblin, not a man, but a King. And everything in the world must belong to me. Everything will belong to me. No matter what it is and how I have to get it.
A King cannot be satisfied by anything less than everything.
The sudden activation of the zam spell put a dead halt on everything happening. Aside from Sofia, everyone was too stunned to react. Lana herself was in more disbelief than anyone. Had she really been carrying around the zam spell this entire time? She was completely unaware of it if she was. She wasn’t even sure what form it took.
How did it work? Was it triggered only when she was about to die? If so, could it have activated before on her journey without her realizing it? And where did that barrier emanate from? She didn’t have anything on her person that could be called a charm from home or anything else of the sort. Was it purely magic, then? There was too much she didn’t understand about it. She was hopelessly confused.
The first person to break through this confusion and act was Aamali. She tossed up her hammer and caught it with her talons, and rocketed forward straight at Jasper. Before he could react, she had slammed her hammer into his chest and sent him flying into the cliffside next to Jabun’s wall.
“Gaugh-!” he cried out and coughed up blood.
Jasper collapsed in a heap at the base of the cliff, dazed out of his mind. This sight sprung the others to action, as well. Lenzo dashed to the head of the group and spoke as loudly and concisely as he could, his mind spinning behind each word.
“Everyone! You can stand, right? You must move quickly! Follow us away from here, to a safe place!” he shouted.
After a bit of hesitation and cautious glances between each other, the villagers of Goponga rose to their feet, though their arms were still bound in chains. Manolo and Sofia did the same, rushing to Lana’s side and helping her up. The zam spell had already vanished by then.
From the village, a stampede of bokoblins and moblins was coming their way. Orca motioned for everyone to pick up the pace, frowning as he looked over his shoulder at the horde. Fortunately for them, they seemed more concerned with aiding their King.
Lana wasn’t about to let that happen. She broke out of her parent’s embrace and sprinted toward Jasper, wordlessly brandishing her sword. Anyone who caught a glimpse of her eyes would have said they were coldly focused. She was over her hesitation this time. She fully intended to end Jasper’s life, to put an end to this entire struggle in one blow.
Unfortunately, he recovered before she could reach him. “COME!” he bellowed.
A shrill squawk and a rush of wings filled Lana’s ears and reminded her of what happened last time. She tried to force-start a temporal rush, hoping to reach Jasper before it was too late, but she wasn’t in enough danger to pull it off. The resulting headache only threw her off balance.
Sharp talons dug into Jasper’s shoulders and lifted him into the air. Just like before, an armored helmaroc had come to his rescue. Lana, feeling frustrated and angry that he slipped out of reach a second time, stomped her foot on the ground.
“I am not letting it end this way again!” she cursed.
Lana drew her bow and aimed for the helmaroc. She would see Jasper plummet from the air. The bird was experienced, though, and easily dodged three of her arrows before Lana decided that it wasn’t worth shooting from the ground anymore. She reached for the edges of her deku leaf, but stopped when she saw Aamali take off again.
“Oh no you don’t!” she yelled.
She was incredibly fast in the air, even while carrying that hammer around. As expected of a Rito, Lana supposed. Aamali twirled around in the air, swinging her hammer in a deadly curve that smacked the helmaroc’s armored head. The creature was stunned into letting go of Jasper.
“DAMN YOU!” he screamed as he fell back to the ground.
He landed with a loud thud in the midst of his scurrying pirates. The brutes were trained well; they immediately surrounded him and formed a wall between Lana’s group and the wounded Pirate King. A handful of moblins began charging at them, and so their priorities had to shift away from Jasper for the moment.
“I’ll make sure he can’t escape into the air! You guys get the villagers somewhere safe!” Aamali called down from the sky.
“Thanks! I owe you!” Lana said.
“Don’t be silly! This is my repayment.” Aamali winked.
With that, Aamali flew off to engage a flock of helmarocs taking off from one of the remaining pirate ships. At the same time, Jabun resurfaced and sank another one by ramming his body into it. The boat split apart like it were made of paper. His weight was too much for it to withstand. A whole mess of monsters fell into the sea, trying and failing to stay afloat.
Lana gazed at the enormous spirit, her mind still having trouble accepting the reality that he was her friend Oshus.
- Why didn’t he ever tell me who he really was? I don’t understand...
“Hey, Lana, we gotta move!” Orca said, grabbing her shoulder.
“... You’re right. The villagers have to be saved.” she nodded.
She would have to set aside all of her doubts and confusion. There would be plenty of time to talk things through later, should they all survive. She came today to make that happen. She wanted that chance to talk with everyone. She wanted them to know about her, and she wanted to know about them. Her parents and Oshus both, and maybe even the villagers, too.
The group started running, going around the cliffs that enclosed Jabun’s cove. They traveled around the edge of the island, passing by the spot where Orca’s boat was hidden, using the narrow beach and high cliffs to their advantage. The fighters in the party kept the pursuing monsters off their backs in the rear while the villagers ran ahead. Lenzo took up the lead, and he called out his plan to everyone.
“I think we should all move for Emilia’s pirate ship. It’s docked at the eastern inlet. We should be able to reach it if we follow this coastline, right?” he said.
“Yeah, we can, but...” one of the villagers said.
“Then we need to free it and make it a safe place for all of you to wait this out! I’m sure we can accomplish that! I know we can!” he said encouragingly.
“Emilia will surely help us if we save her. She’s the one who called me here.” Lana explained.
“What? How did...” another villager said.
“Kah! Don’t sweat the details, just move it!” Orca grumbled.
“Here, everyone! Let me take care of those chains!” Peeks said.
The little korok revealed a twig that he probably picked up somewhere. It didn’t seem particularly remarkable or helpful, but in his hands, he worked it like it was a professional tool. He flew to each person in turn and wrenched it between the chains, untangling them and yanking them off as he wiggled it around. It was rather impressive.
- I can always count on the ingenuity of a korok.
Lana smiled as she thought this. She found it amazing how everyone who had come with her was finding ways to help her, even the ones who couldn’t fight directly. She knew that she could never make it up to them for as long as she lived, but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying after everything was over.
“Lana...”
Her father’s voice snapped her focus back to the moment. Her parents had slowed their pace so they could join her at the rear guard. Their expressions were no longer filled with fear or confusion, only pride. Lana’s heart stung just looking at the warmth on their faces.
“My gull... I don’t really have the words...” Manolo said.
“I don’t know what you’ve been doing or how or why, but... All I can say is that I’m so relieved to see you well.” Sofia said, looking like she might begin crying again.
Lana’s lip quivered as she tried to think of something to say to them. “I’m glad I made it on time to help you. I promise I’ll tell you everything, but before that, Jasper has to die.”
“Lana... It’s, um... Hearing you speak that way is...” Sofia said, looking startled.
“I’m sorry. I must be unrecognizable to you right now... Seeing me fight like that, and all.” Lana said.
“No, never. You’re our daughter, no matter what you might do or say. Nothing could change that.” Manolo said. “The only thing I care about right now is your safety, not your explanation.”
Lana smiled. “You haven’t changed a bit, Papa. Though I guess it has only been a month. Don’t worry, my friends and I will see us through this. I swear it.”
“I believe you. I know you can do it, my gull.” Manolo said.
“Normally I’d say don’t call me that, but today can be a special exception.” Lana winked.
“Haha! You see? You’re still our daughter, after all. Not unrecognizable by one bit.” Sofia said, reaching back to caress Lana’s cheek while they ran.
That simple act filled Lana’s heart with more emotion than she knew what to do with. She wiped her eyes to keep tears from spilling out, her heart aching from a sense of longing. Still, there was work to be done before she could act on that feeling. The fiery blaze in her heart continued to push her forward, fighting tooth and nail to reach the conclusion she sought so badly. She would not fail again. Next time, she would kill Jasper for sure.
“I see the ship up ahead!” Lenzo called out!
Sure enough, the familiar sight of Emilia’s ship came into view beyond an outcropping of rocks. It looked ravaged and in desperate need of repair. It likely wasn’t seaworthy. Even from that distance, Lana was able to catch a horrible sight. She bit her lip as anger welled up from within.
Emilia’s bruised and bloody body was strung up on the mast in the center of the ship. Renazo, as the first mate, was similarly displayed on the rear mast. Neither of them appeared to be conscious. Their injuries looked severe.
- I can’t believe it... I never thought she could lose like this. Emilia, hang on. I promise I’ll save you.
There weren’t any remaining monsters giving chase. It was difficult to see the state of things in the village behind all the cliffs, so Peeks decided to go and scout it out again. Meanwhile, Lana ran to the front of the group with Orca and Ivan. The three of them would be the ones to free the ship from the monsters’ control.
They quickly exchanged a plan of attack between themselves, and put it to work before the situation had a chance to change. Lana took off into the air with her deku leaf, intending to drop down on the ship from above. Orca and Ivan would take on the stepladder that bridged the ship with the shoreline.
From her brief position in the sky, Lana could see Aamali duking it out with several helmarocs in the airspace over the village. She was concerned, but she decided to trust her friend. She gazed down at Emilia’s ship and saw a number of green and blue bokoblins marching around the deck, as well as a few moblins standing at attention. The remainder of the crew was bound in chains, sitting helplessly near the back of the ship much like the villagers had been earlier.
She glanced down at Ivan and Orca, and they were in place to spring out at a moment’s notice. And so, Lana dove down toward the ship, recalling a moment she shared with Orca in the Forbidden Woods where she attempted a surprise attack from above. This time, she managed to pull that move off flawlessly, stabbing her blade down through the back of an unsuspecting moblin’s neck.
The large brute collapsed, dead before it realized what happened. Emilia’s crew all gasped in shock, and then started an uproar of raucous cheering when they saw that Lana had come to help them. The remaining moblins turned their spears on her, angry and determined to uphold the job that Jasper had given them.
At the same time, as the monsters guarding the ladder to the ship looked away in surprise of all the noise, Orca and Ivan jumped out to ambush them. The few bokoblins were dead in seconds, and Ivan dashed up the ladder to give Lana backup. Orca stayed below and brandished his spear, as monsters at the top of the hill overlooking the inlet took notice of them.
It was Orca’s job to keep any more monsters from storming the ship while Lana and Ivan fought. His crewmates looked very pleased to see that he had survived and managed to join up with Lana. Together, the pair of them cut their way through each enemy that attacked them.
Ivan ducked under the arc of a moblin’s spear, springing forward to stab it in the gut. As another moblin closed in on him, he crouched down to allow Lana to leap off his shoulder. She soared over the moblin’s attack and cut it down as she landed. In that same motion, Ivan turned around and dashed into approaching bokoblins, cutting through their hides with his cutlass. The pair worked together surprisingly well.
Finally, there were only two moblins left. Neither of them looked like they wanted to die, so they turned tail and ran. Lana, however, had other ideas for them. She didn’t want them joining back up with the rest of Jasper’s forces, so she drew her bow and quickly loosed an arrow. Without a temporal rush, she only had time to shoot one of them. It fell to the deck face-first, dead. The other leapt over the railing down into the sand.
Fortunately, Orca was there. He didn’t let it escape his notice, and cut down that one too with the rest of the monsters attempting to reach the ship. His spear twirled through the air, sending specks of blood flying in all directions. He made it clear to the monsters that there would be no getting by him. He even made time to bounce his pectoral muscles as a show of force.
Emilia’s ship had thus been recaptured. It was easier than Lana expected, much to her relief. Ivan quickly went to untie his crewmates.
“Ivan, buddy! You made it!”
“I knew we could count on you!”
His allies said mushy things unbefitting of pirates as Lana went to tend to Emilia. She had been strung up pretty high on the center mast. She had been up there for a while, too, as her blood had trickled all the way down the mast to the deck. It was a harrowing sight. Lana clenched her teeth, feeling viscerally angry about what had been done to her.
She climbed the mast’s ladder and carefully began pulling the chains loose. As Emilia’s body slumped forward, Lana held her arm out to catch her, managing to shift Emilia over her shoulder. She was still warm, and she could still feel a heartbeat. Lana’s nerves settled a bit upon confirming this.
She slowly descended the ladder while the crew waited for them below. Some, like Ivan, had gone over to assist Renazo, but most of them hovered worriedly around Lana and Emilia in a circle. They were almost like concerned children fretting over a sick parent, which Lana found a little amusing. Despite their reputation, the crew was pretty close with each other.
- Whatever else she is, she’s very well-respected, isn’t she?
“You sure are something, Emilia...” Lana said quietly, kneeling down on the deck and resting her head in her arms.
“Is she... alive?” one of the crew asked.
Lana nodded, and a great sigh washed over the crew like a chorus. Lana smiled up at them, and then looked down at Emilia when she began to feel movement. Slowly, the surly captain’s eyes rose open, and then scrunched back shut like she felt a splitting pain.
“Ugh... What the damn hell took you so long to get here, Lana...” she moaned.
“Haha... It figures the first thing you say when you wake up would be a bunch of swears. Do you do that in the mornings, too, sleepyhead?” Lana teased.
“... Urk. I’m so gonna hit you for that later. But first, help me stand up, you damn slowpoke.” Emilia grunted.
Shakily, Lana pulled Emilia up to her feet. The captain pressed her hand against her temple and continued to groan. Her crew was elated enough to dance around the deck in joy, at least until Emilia barked at them to cut it out.
“Captain...! You’re okay... Thank goodness.” Renazo said as he stumbled over to the center of the deck.
“Do I look okay to you, dumbass? I feel like I just got keel-hauled.” she said.
“You got it worse than I did... I’m relieved that your life isn’t in any danger.” Renazo said.
“The battle isn’t over yet, though. Jasper and his pirates still have control of the island.” Lana informed them. “My friends and I were able to rescue the villagers, at least. I want to leave them here on your ship. Can you guys guard them?”
“Sure, it’s not like this ship is usable right now, anyway. Bring ‘em up.” Emilia consented.
On her word, those of her crew that were still able-bodied headed down to the beach, helping Orca chase off some remaining bokoblins on the way. They escorted the villagers up onto the deck of the ship, and many of them were quite surprised to see that Lana was on friendly terms with the grouchy pirate captain.
“Thanks so much for doing this, Emilia.” Lana said.
“Hey, consider it my congratulations. Never expected a sorry sack like you to have friends.” she smirked.
Lana could hear Renny snort from somewhere in the crowd of villagers, but she ignored it for the moment.
“Yeah, you could say that. I really am blessed to have them. They’re wonderful friends, and I never could’ve made it this far without them.” she said.
“Ugh, stop being all gross. This better not lead into you saying I’m one of ‘em.” Emilia said.
“And what would you do if I did?” Lana teased.
“Vomit, probably.”
“Ha! Even when you’re half-dead, you’re still as rude as ever.” Lana laughed. “But, I dunno... I guess I still like talking to you, anyway. Who’d have thought?”
For a split second, Emilia appeared to blush. She turned her face away, swatting Lana’s shoulder with her fist as she did. Her crew looked like they were painfully choking back the chuckles, and Lana’s parents smiled warmly. They seemed to be glad that Lana was finally able to make so many friends.
“Alright, now that we’ve retaken the ship and made it a safe place for the villagers to stay, what’s our next step?” Lenzo said.
“Obviously, we’re gonna go steamroll the rest of the monsters, right?” Orca said, slamming his fists together.
“Wait, we don’t have a lay of the land right now. Peeks is scouting. We should wait for him.” Lana suggested.
Right on cue, the little korok returned, alerting the others to his presence with the sound of his spinning leaves. “You guys!” he called out.
“Huh?! What is that thing?” one of the pirates said.
“What the heck? You got a korok for a friend, too?” Emilia said.
“I sure do.” Lana grinned. “Peeks, what did you see up there?”
“Good news and bad news. The good news is, Aamali has defeated most of the helmarocs. There’s only that one big armored one left. Also, the Great Jabun sank all the pirate ships, and he’s blocking the harbor and preventing any of the village’s ships from leaving the port. That means there’s nowhere for Jasper to run. He’s stuck on this island.”
“That’s a much more favorable situation than I was expecting!” Lenzo said.
Lana felt her skin twinge a bit. Jasper was stranded on Greatfish. There was no escape anymore. All she had to do was run him down and end him. She didn’t like how bloodthirsty she felt in that moment, but she knew hesitation at this point would cost her even more dearly than it did last time. She had already made up her mind; she was going to kill him herself.
“So? What’s the bad news, then? Out with it!” Emilia said.
“Bad news is all the big and dangerous monsters managed to land before Jabun sank their last ship. So now we’ve gotta contend with even more moblins, as well as stalfos and darknuts. This is gonna be a brutal fight...” he shivered.
The villagers were all shaken by this news. Emilia’s crew looked on edge. Even Orca seemed a bit withdrawn at the prospect of fighting all that. Some of the toughest monsters on the Great Sea stood in their path to victory. There would be no reaching Jasper without defeating them. Manolo and Sofia looked especially anxious, because they could see the look on their daughter’s face.
“Even so, we have to go.” she said quietly.
“... Yeah. Yeah, we do.” Orca said. “My student is right. We can’t allow these beasts to roam free. If we don’t wipe them out, this island won’t be habitable anymore.”
“Let’s wipe ‘em out, regardless. I owe those bastards for what they did to me, and my way is to pay blood back with blood.” Emilia rasped.
“Wait, you’re going, too, Captain?” Renazo said. “Then I-”
“No. Stay here and keep the landlubbers safe. The rest of you, too. They won’t stand a chance without you.” Emilia ordered. “Besides, they’re only in this mess because we accidentally lured Jasper here... It’s only right.”
Renazo seemed a little stunned by her words. Truly, it didn’t really sound like her. Lana wondered what had brought this on. Emilia seemed to notice her curious stares, and turned her face away.
“Very well... We’ll defend them with our lives.” Renazo said.
“Right!” her crew called out.
“I think I should remain here, too... I, uh, I don’t think I’d be any use out there at all.” Lenzo said, sounding disappointed in himself.
“It’s fine, you’ve done more than enough for us. You’re making the right call.” Lana assured him.
“I’ll fly ahead of you guys to scout the way!” Peeks said.
“Hopefully we can join up with Aamali at some point... With just the three of us, it’s gonna be rough.” Orca said.
“You’re a master swordsman, though, aren’t you? Come on, you can’t be losing to your student yet.” Lana said with a wink.
“Ah...! Yes, you’re right! Don’t you worry, I’ll cut down every single monster that crosses my path!” Orca exclaimed.
“Wow, he’s pretty easy to sway, huh?” Emilia said, grabbing some daggers from her crew.
“Are you okay to fight?” Lana asked.
“Better than any of these wimps, that’s for damn sure.” Emilia said. “You don’t doubt me, do you? Don’t you even think I’m gonna get beat again. I only lost the first time cuz friggin’ Jasper doesn’t fight fair.”
“Then I’d better not see you fighting fair, either.” Lana said.
“... Damn straight.” Emilia grinned.
Their preparations were made. They knew what they had to do. Together, the three fighters stepped to the edge of the ship. At their backs were friends and allies and loved ones; many lives that were dependent on their actions. Whatever they did from that moment on would directly determine whether those lives continued on or ended.
Bearing that weight on her shoulders, Lana took a deep breath to settle her mind. No more distractions. No more hesitation. The moment had finally come to put and end to the bitter enemy that was Jasper the Pirate King. For the sake of her family, for peace on the Great Sea, and for herself, as well, Lana was ready to seize victory and take hold of her own destiny.
“Now, let’s begin. Here we come!”
With that rallying cry, the three of them leapt from the ship. When their feet hit the sand, they took off running up the slope that led up the cliffs. Before even reaching the top, they were already beset by a horde of bokoblins. They would have to clear their path through battle.
Lana’s estoc tore through the first few monsters with ease, and as she glanced behind herself, Orca took out several more with a wide swing of his spear. Emilia, ducking under the path of his weapon, used her daggers to cut through any stragglers. The three warriors made it rain blood as they pushed on up the trail.
Bokoblin limbs tumbled to the ground separately from their bodies, rolling down the slope and piling up at the base. Lana motioned for Orca to jump to the front, so he took the lead. With him slicing his way through even more enemies, Lana had time to turn around and draw a fire arrow. Emilia noticed what she was up to, and pulled out a bottle of oil. She tossed it down to the mountain of corpses, the glass shattering and dousing them all.
Lana loosed her fire arrow, setting the pile of bodies ablaze. This served as a fiery barricade, making it difficult for enemies that got past them to approach the ship. It wouldn’t burn forever, but it would buy Emilia’s crew enough time to set up their defenses.
With that weight off their minds, the three of them reached the top of the hill. Greatfish Isle’s farmlands spread out before their eyes. What was once a peaceful field full of wheat and grains was now piles of ash and crops torn asunder. The area was overrun with bokoblins, more than the trio could count.
As soon as they stepped onto the field, all of the monsters’ attention was honed in on them. They had no choice but to fight through the horde. The opposing forces clashed together in a furious melee, the overwhelming odds putting pressure on Lana and her friends. Each time they cut down one enemy, three more would take its place. It was going to turn into a battle of attrition at this pace.
And then the leader of the horde stepped forward. Its blade crashed down, almost splitting Lana in two. She rolled out of the way as Orca jumped to her aid, defending her from a follow up attack from a pair of bokoblins. The leader was a darknut, sporting impressive shiny armor that gleamed in the light of the fires. It toted a Knight’s Crest on its belt just as Lana did. Its red, glowing eyes could be seen through the visor on its helmet, and they were trained right at her.
- Ugh, with this thing targeting me, it’ll be difficult to advance.
“Bastard... You guys keep moving. I’ll handle him.” Orca said.
“Huh? You tryin’ to die?” Emilia said.
“No. But if you guys can get to Jasper, it’ll draw the rest of them away from here, and away from the ship.” he said. “I’ll be fine. I can handle this thing no problem.”
“Orca! You...” Lana wanted to stop him, but she cut herself off.
She recognized the strategy in this plan, and she knew it would be in everyone’s best interest to capitalize on it. She had come this far by trusting her allies to do their parts, so it would be insulting of her to stop now.
“Alright. Be careful.” Lana nodded. “LISTEN UP, MONSTERS! WE MARCH TO KILL JASPER! TRY AND STOP US, IF YOU DARE!”
Her instigating shout whipped the bokoblins into a frenzy. She knew they all admired Jasper, and so she used their loyalty to her advantage. Together with Emilia, they started running for the road that led to the town down on the other side of the farms.
The darknut moved to intercept them, but Orca stood in its way, countering its sword with his spear. The weight behind the strike was intense enough that Orca thought the shaft of his weapon might shatter, but through those muscles he was so proud of, he stood his ground and shoved the beast back.
“Oh no, you don’t. That’s my student back there. As her master and the one who trained her, I won’t let you lay a finger on that kid!” Orca yelled.
The darknut’s attention had shifted. As a creature that lived only for battle, it was captivated by the prospect of battling someone who had trained a holder of a Knight’s Crest. It aimed its sword at Orca now, brandishing it menacingly. Orca readied his spear, feeling completely unafraid. His precious student was at his back, and he had no intention of budging.
From one warrior to another, no further words needed to be exchanged. Orca and the darknut both moved for each other at the same time. Their weapons crashed together again, with the blade of Orca’s spear grinding down the beast’s sword. When their weapons parted, Orca twirled around to its rear and swung his spear at the back of its head.
The darknut ducked under the swing and raised its foot, kicking back into Orca’s stomach. He was lifted off the ground, but he managed to land on his feet, skidding to a stop in the dirt and kicking up dust. He groaned through the pain, gripping his spear tighter than before. He tanked the hit like a champ and kicked off from the ground, lunging at the beast before it could fully turn around to face him.
This time, his spear hit its mark. A metallic clang split his ears as he forced the darknut to stagger. This time, it attacked with an armored fist, trying to punch Orca’s jaw. He dipped to the side and dodged the blow, bringing his spear back around. As he moved, he saw the darknut begin to swing its sword again, so he leapt back out of the way.
The heavy steel barely grazed past his tunic as he backstepped. As soon as his feet touched the dirt again, he sprang forward, swinging his spear down as hard as he could. It slammed across the darknut’s shoulder, and the beast let out a distorted grunt. It stumbled back on its feet, but it was still able to strike back.
This time, its sword flew past Orca’s face, leaving a cut across the bridge of his nose. He winced from the pain, but refused to shut his eyes. He couldn’t afford to. He bent forward and lunged again, ramming his shoulder into the darknut’s chest. The beast stumbled down even more, this time stabbing its sword into the earth to stay on balance.
That was just what Orca was waiting for. He was already in position to strike. His spear smacked the darknut’s hand, forcing it to let go. He didn’t hesitate to advance again, pushing it further away from its weapon. Now it was disarmed, and Orca blocked its path back to its sword.
Orca began feeling more confident now that the tide had turned in his favor. He lunged forward again, this time aiming for the darknut’s head. However, it used its armored hands to block the spear, shoving it out of the way as it leaned in for a gut punch. The wind was knocked out of Orca’s lungs as he was lifted off his feet again.
His head grew fuzzy for a moment as he struggled to maintain his balance after that powerful hit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the beast move into the stance for a roundhouse kick. Orca ducked down as low as he could and felt the blow whizz by over his head. He powered through a chill and took a deep breath to fill his lungs.
“BASTARD!” he screamed, rushing forward again.
This time he was prepared to deal with its martial arts. He caught another of its punches with his left hand. The pain was nearly enough to break his arm, but he tanked through it again and continued swinging his spear with his other hand. Finally, he was able to catch it across its face.
The darknut’s helmet spun around so that its visor was on the side of its head. Unable to see, the beast started flailing its limbs, trying to create some distance to fix this. But Orca was too agile for it. He dipped around to its flank and used his spear to cut through the bindings that held its armor together. Metal plates fell around the creature’s feet, its flesh now exposed.
In a last act of desperation, the darknut tried to use its own body to bash Orca, lunging in the direction his strike had come from. But he had outmaneuvered it yet again. He was already on the other side of it, and its chest was wide open. Orca didn’t miss this chance, and ended the fight by plunging his spear through the darknut’s chest.
The monster's body tensed up and went rigid as it grabbed the spear, trying to remove it. Orca pushed it in deeper, forcing more blood to spill from its wounds. After a few more moments of struggling, it suddenly stopped. It let go of the spear, and shakily, it raised its arms up instead. To Orca’s surprise, the darknut removed its helmet for him.
The brute’s face was dark and gruesome, twisted from pain and bloodshed. Its deep red eyes stared at Orca intensely for a few moments, and then it curled its lips up into a toothy, satisfied grin. With that, its head slumped over, and its knees gave out. It seemed to use those last moments of life to thank Orca for a battle well-fought.
Orca yanked his spear out of the beast and watched for a few moments as its body fell over, now motionless on the field. He looked around and saw that all the bokoblins in the area seemed to have pursued Lana and Emilia, as planned. He let out a relieved sigh.
“Man, I’m spent. Now it’s up to those kids.”
With those words, he fell to his bottom, clenching his stomach as the pain was finally catching up to him. He was certain some of his ribs were broken. He wasn't going to be any more use today. Still, he felt confident that he’d done enough.
“Lana is strong as hell. I know she can do this... She is my student, after all.”
Saying as much, he smiled and lay down on his back, trying his best to withstand the agonizing pain and rest.
“Tough bird, ain’tcha?” Aamali scoffed.
She flapped her arms and panted heavily, high above the chaos taking place on Greatfish Isle. For quite a while she had been engaging helmarocs in aerial combat. Knocking them out of the sky and preventing them from carrying Jasper off was the role she’d chosen to take on. There was only one left, and it was a rather big one.
This particular helmaroc was twice the size of the regular ones. It was also covered in battle scars and armor plating. The winged menace was as quick and agile as any fellow Rito would be. She had landed a few solid hits already, but it refused to fall. It had to be an apex of its kind.
It had locked onto her just as much as she had. They both knew neither could push forward without defeating the other. It was a deadlock. Aamali had seen that the others were fighting their way across Greatfish down below to reach Jasper, so she was desperate to defeat this enemy and regroup with them.
“Just fall already!” she hissed as she commenced her next attack.
With a great thrust of her wings, Aamali darted forward as fast as she could. The helmaroc beat the air with its wings to take off in the opposite direction, and a deadly chase ensued. As Aamali closed in, she swung her legs up to bring her hammer around. Like it were turning a corner, the helmaroc juked out of the way, and Aamali’s hammer only struck air.
She held her wings out straight to stop, and flapped them down with great force in order to change course after it. The two zig-zagged through the air repeatedly. With each missed swing, Aamali tired herself out more. Rito were built for long-distance flight, but that was assuming they weren’t using their muscles this intensely. She would likely run out of stamina before the helmaroc would.
Suddenly, the beastly bird flipped around in the air and sped right toward her, its dangerously sharp talons extended. Each claw was like a blade of its own. Aamali quickly maneuvered into a spin, escaping the helmaroc’s clutches with only a graze on her side. A few of her feathers were cut loose from under her shirt, and drops of her blood came with them.
She groaned and tightened her grip on her hammer. Her feet were getting tired of holding the heavy thing. She’d be at her limit soon. She needed to end this fast, so she clenched her teeth and did the same sharp flip to change direction. She was right up on its back now. She swung as fast as she could and finally landed another hit.
The helmaroc shrieked and staggered through the air, but unfortunately still didn’t fall yet. Aamali clicked her tongue in frustration, and dove in for another blow. The beast recovered quickly, however, and started another frantic chase through the skies.
Aamali was smart enough to know that this helmaroc wasn’t stupid. Unlike its brethren, it showed signs of planning and strategy. The chases were its way of wearing her down. She knew this, but she had to keep on top of it, or it would fly to Jasper. She racked her brain for something she could do to tip the scales in her favor before her strength was completely gone.
"Come on, think! What would Lana do at a time like this...?" she groaned.
Thinking about her clever friend, something clicked in Aamali’s mind. A strategy that Lana might use took shape, though she wasn’t certain if she could pull it off. It would be very risky, but there weren’t many options left. And so, she committed herself to it, with a grin that may have been forecasting her victory.
Aamali broke away from the chase and shot straight up. The helmaroc halted its advance, gazing up on her curiously. Aamali flew higher and higher into the air, eyeing the creature all the while. Just when it looked as though it was going to make for Jasper, Aamali threw her hammer up as hard as she could and dove back down at it with impressive speed.
Now that she wasn’t carrying that heavy weapon, her speed dramatically increased. The helmaroc was startled to see her catch up so quickly. It frantically dipped back and forth, trying to fly erratically enough that Aamali couldn’t home in on it. Unfortunately for it, nothing ruled the skies quite like a Rito.
Aamali reached out with her talons and dug them into the beast’s feathers. It cried in agony and tried to shake her off. The persistent Rito refused to back down and dragged the helmaroc off its course, pulling it away over the harbor. The two grappled with each other, spinning around in the air, plummeting farther down toward the surface. Aamali caught sight of the one thing she was waiting for, a gleam in the corner of her eye. The timing was right.
Using her winged arms, she reached forward and grabbed the helmaroc’s own wings, pulling them back behind itself. She planted her feet firmly on its back and pulled. The helmaroc, now unable to fly, was forced to stretch its body out. It craned its neck, trying to swat Aamali off with its armored head, and then it understood what she was doing. She could feel its hope leave its body as the hammer Aamali had thrown came crashing down through the sky at last, smashing into the helmaroc’s head on the way down. Just as planned.
From that height, with that kind of momentum, Aamali knew the damage would be devastating. And it was. The armored helmet shattered to bits, and from the sound of things, so did the helmaroc’s skull. Its final cry of pain was incredibly short and hollow. She kicked off its back, and it tumbled lifelessly down into the wharf.
Aamali’s hammer had landed with an incredibly loud smack, kicking up a cloud of dust in the sand. She didn’t land so much as she did fall to the ground, feeling completely drained of energy. The wet sand stuck to her feathers as she crawled through it to sit next to her hammer, now stained with the helmaroc’s blood.
“Man, I’m beat... Gonna need a minute or two before I can get back out there...” she panted. “Sure hope no monsters come over here while I rest for a bit.”
She gazed out toward the town, and the sounds of battle and the glow of fires continued to rage on. Whatever was happening, she wanted to hurry and help, but she knew she’d be a liability if she went with no energy.
“This is what Lana would tell me to do... I know they’ll be fine.” Aamali assured herself. “My debt hasn’t been repaired just yet. Don’t you dare die on me, Lana...!”
Lana and Emilia found themselves back to back in the center of Goponga Village surrounded by bokoblins and moblins, all under the command of a stalfos. The monsters formed an effective wall of flesh, blocking them off from the southwestern cape of the island. It seemed like they absolutely did not want the two of them to head that way.
“You guys! Jasper’s up ahead! I saw him!” Peeks announced as he flew down to the girls.
“Great, we’ve got him cornered now.” Emilia said. “But these guys are being a huge pain in the ass.”
“It’s the stalfos. It's the one leading them.” Lana said, glaring at the beast.
“Then it looks like you get to go on ahead again. I’ll keep these losers busy for you.” Emilia said.
“What? No, you’re injured! Orca was a different story-” Lana tried to protest.
“Huh? You think I can’t do better than that muscle head? Just who the hell do you think I am?” Emilia spat.
Lana bit her lip. It pained her to leave behind someone else again, but strategically, it really was the best option. She couldn’t waste her energy on the small fry. Jasper had to be taken care of, and fast. She relented, and made the best choice she could.
“You’re Emilia, the captain of the pirates that do whatever they want. And right now, this is what you wanna do. So fine.” Lana said. “But please, don’t die. I don’t want to lose any of my friends today, got it?”
Emilia’s jaw dropped a little when she heard that. “Y-you... Damn it, just go. I’m not gonna die, so move it!” she said.
Lana gave her an encouraging smile, and together the girls faced off against the stalfos once more. She had to get past it to reach Jasper. Stalfos were skeletal monsters, said to be the undead remains of past warriors. Malice animated their bones, making them difficult to destroy. She had already shared this knowledge with Emilia, so it was up to the pirate captain to find a way to persevere.
Together, they started running, cutting down any bokoblins that jumped in their path. The stalfos raised its great bony mace over its head, preparing to smash it down on the girls. Lana took advantage of this attack, not dodging until the last second to activate a temporal rush.
Ignoring her splitting headache, Lana moved faster than everyone else could blink, dipping under the stalfos and slashing through one of its legs. She cut through a few more bokoblins before the rush ended, and even while she panted heavily, she sprinted off toward the cape.
The stalfos stumbled over as its leg fell apart, howling in anger. Many enemies tried to chase after Lana, but Emilia leapt over the downed beast and cut them off. Her daggers flying in her hands, she made short work of any monster that dared to get by her. She now stood at the edge of town, becoming a wall in and of herself to keep the monsters away from Lana.
“That was great! Go, Lana!” Peeks cheered.
“Heh... How do you like that? Whatever the hell she just did, she created just the opportunity I needed to turn the tables.” Emilia said. “Now you freaks gotta deal with me. You aren’t taking one step past here!”
The stalfos growled at her, and started raising itself back up. The bones Lana had cut away started moving back into place all on their own, reforming its broken leg. Emilia frowned, realizing that this battle would be a difficult one. The beast’s full height was more than twice her own, and it had no discernable weak points.
Emilia tightened her grip on her daggers. She’d just have to cut it until it didn’t reform. After motioning for Peeks to leave the scene, she charged forward, slashing through even more bokoblins like they were cannon fodder. The stalfos raised its mace up once again, ready to swat her away.
Fortunately for her, the brute was slow. She took advantage of her agility to leap right over its wide swing, and sliced through its ribs with both of her daggers. She kicked off from its chest and backed off for a moment. Disappointingly, the bones she cut away also floated right back into place, as though they hadn’t been cut at all.
Even more bokoblins and moblins rushed at her while it recovered, but there weren’t that many left now. Emilia dipped under the swings of their machetes and spears, cutting through each of them with ease. They weren’t enough to pose a threat to her, even while injured. The enemy forces were dwindling down, at the cost of innumerable corpses littering the island.
The stalfos was unconcerned, perhaps because it seemed so free of death. It waited until there were no other monsters left, allowing Emilia to exhaust herself from battling them. Once the last moblin fell, Emilia stood still, trying to catch her breath. At that moment, the stalfos pounced.
It leapt into the air, crossing the distance to her position surprisingly quickly. Emilia dove out of the way despite her burning muscles, rolling back to her feet as the brute’s mace smashed into the ground. It turned to face her, bringing its weapon around into another swing. Emilia leapt over it and advanced once more.
She dipped forward and cut through both of its legs at once this time. The stalfos fell to its knees and tried to swat her away again. This time, Emilia leapt up and stomped her feet down on the mace. Using it as a stepping stone, she jumped even higher and aimed her daggers for its neck. She wanted to see if that were enough to end the fight.
However, the stalfos’ free arm shot out and grabbed her by the collar. It easily tossed her aside, and she rolled across the ground like a ragdoll to the foot of a broken-down house. She groaned in pain, feeling her older wounds opening back up. She now had several scrapes and a fractured rib to add to that.
The stalfos’ legs were already regenerating. Cursing as she pulled herself back up to her feet, she spat some blood from her lip to the ground. She began to think that aiming for the neck was the right call, since that was the first time it actively stopped her from cutting into it. As the beast lumbered toward her once again, Emilia turned on her heel and dashed up the wall of the building.
Kicking off from the wall as high as she could get, she found herself soaring in the air above the stalfos’s head. It started to swing its mace to knock her down, but she was faster than it was. She threw one of her daggers down, and it wedged itself right into its neckbone. It stopped its swing and appeared to be in pain for the first time throughout the battle.
Emilia continued falling toward the brute, and used her remaining dagger to fully slash her way through its neck. It gurgled dramatically as its body collapsed in on itself. The skull rolled to the ground right at Emilia’s feet. It was still moving, wiggling around like it were struggling to rebuild itself, so she raised her boot up and stomped down as hard as she could.
Once she had crushed the skull, the bones all turned into dust. There would be no coming back from that. Emilia sighed heavily and plopped down on her back right where she stood, dropping her dagger as she went down. She had utterly exhausted herself.
“Good grief, that thing was a massive pain. If only it didn’t take crushing the skull to kill it, I woulda been done long before this...” she complained.
The monsters had been mostly wiped out. No more bokoblins or even moblins stalked Greatfish Isle, and the fires were dying down. The commanding enemies were all defeated, save for Jasper. He was the last threat that remained on the island.
“I’m in too much pain to go help, but that shouldn’t be a problem, should it, Lana? After all... You’re the first person who was brave enough to call me their friend. If you can do that, you can do anything.” Emilia said to herself. “So you’d better not go and die... Win this once and for all, Lana!”
Lana ran along the dirt road that led out of the village, hearing the sounds of Emilia’s fight behind her. She didn’t look back. She wanted to trust that each of her friends would succeed. The fact that their opponents had not come after her thus far were testament to that.
As she headed for the cape, vivid memories of her life on Greatfish Isle rushed to the surface. This was the road she would always take to and from town. The simple dirt road and grassy surroundings had since been heavily trampled underfoot by monsters. It wasn’t long until her house came into view, too.
It was nothing like it had been when she left. The whole building had collapsed in on itself, smoldering in still-burning fires. It was utterly unrecognizable. Beyond where it sat on the cape was the small beach where she learned to fish and played with her parents. Standing there, facing out to see, was Jasper, an enemy to her, her family, and everything she loved.
Seeing him standing in the ashes of her home brought her bloodlust to the surface in full force. She had never in her life wanted to kill more than she did in that moment. She stopped running and clutched her heart, trying her best not to get swept away in a fit of rage. Killing Jasper was absolutely necessary, but it wasn’t just for her own satisfaction.
He was a menace to the Great Sea and everything that lived on it. He had made himself as such when he decided to pillage and kill for his own selfish desires, and he had no intention of stopping. There was no other option left. It had to come to this. A kill or be killed battle to the death. Lana slowly approached the King of all monsters and silently brandished her sword.
“So, you’ve come. I knew you would.” Jasper said without turning around. “I’ve ravaged your home and threatened your parents. I was close to taking away everything you love. So naturally, you’d want to come to kill me.”
At last he turned to face Lana, and the expression on his face was unlike anything she’d ever seen. His eyes were empty and hateful, and his lips didn’t form a single shape. It was as though he were hollow.
“I must admit, I feel exactly the same way.” he continued. “You’ve stolen from me. You destroyed my fort, nearly bringing an end to everything I’ve built up for over six decades. And now here you stand, still preventing me from acquiring the things I desire. My hate for you is unsurpassed. In my many long years, I have never wanted for anything the way I now want for your life.”
“I’ve already told you twice. This is the last time I’m going to say it. You will never get anything you want, ever again.” Lana rasped. “The only thing I want right now is for my family to be safe, and for that to happen, you have to die, Jasper. And today, I’m going to get what I want.”
Jasper’s rage was palpable. He gripped the hilt of his sword, seething with anger. His beady eyes were focused on Lana, as though she were now the only thing he could see. It appeared he had gotten some spare gear from his minions, since he had a shield again and the armor on his tunic had been repaired. He also seemed to have tended to the wounds he got in their earlier fight. He was back in top shape.
Lana grabbed the bottom of her hilt with her left hand, holding it firmly at the ready with both. She had two of each type of magic arrow left, as well as around twenty regular arrows. She had her estoc, her deku leaf, and she had the Wind Waker. There was nothing more she could do to prepare. She was ready. It was time to end this.
They both moved at the same time, charging straight for each other. Their swords crashed together in a frightening display of sparks, each pushing against each other. Jasper was able to shove Lana back, and she skidded in the sand to a rough stop.
Jasper lunged forward again, intending to bash her with his shield. Lana waited until the last second to dodge, initiating a temporal rush as she leapt backwards. In that same motion, she spun around in a full circle, sheathing her sword and drawing her bow and a fire arrow. She pulled back, and as the rush ended, she let it fly.
The fire arrow exploded across Jasper’s shield, but he withstood the burns and continued charging forward. Lana had to duck and roll out of his way. On her way back up, she drew an ice arrow and nocked it. She leapt backward and fired at Jasper’s head, intending for the cold to end his brain activity.
He ducked under the arrow, dodging it completely. The streak of ice sailed uselessly into the distance. He charged for Lana again, this time swinging his sword. She waited until the last second to dodge again, getting grazed in the process. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she triggered another temporal rush and used that opening to dash toward the small ledge where her house had once stood.
Lana dashed up the ledge and leapt off from the top, still holding her bow in her left hand. Jasper was already pursuing her, so she once again drew her bow in midair, nocking her last fire arrow. From that position in her freefall, she was able to do another temporal rush, at the cost of a vicious headache. She could hardly aim properly.
This time, she flipped around in the air and fired the arrow straight up. Then, she quickly put away her bow and ended the rush by grabbing the edges of her deku leaf. She flapped her arms with great force, kicking up a gust of wind and soaring right under the arc of Jasper’s next sword strike.
Jasper turned on his heel, preparing to continue chasing Lana down, but when she landed, she pulled out the Wind Waker and swung it in his direction. An intense gale whirled past Lana and pushed against Jasper, preventing him from advancing for a few moments. While that wind was still steadily blowing, Lana drew her bow again and nocked her final ice arrow.
As soon as she fired, Jasper held up his shield to block it, but that was fine. This time, her aim was something different. The gale force wind created the perfect timing she was waiting for. As soon as that ice arrow hit his shield, the fire arrow she’d fired a second ago fell from the sky, hitting the same spot.
The two opposing magical energies erupted violently when they clashed together against Jasper’s shield. Freezing and burning air mixed together, painfully searing away at anything that was caught in the explosion. That naturally included Jasper’s flesh. His screams of agony filled the evening air, as did the ear-splitting sound of the chain reaction.
Lana winced from the sound of it, but drew her sword again and rushed forward all the same. Jasper, though in severe pain, tossed the battered remains of his shield at her. Lana side-stepped past it and continued her advance, forcing Jasper into blocking her strike with his sword.
The damage he’d suffered sapped his strength effectively, as Lana had much less trouble pushing him back against the ledge. As her sword grinded down against his, she was ready to knock it back and end his life once and for all. But Jasper was still as tenacious as ever, and managed to land a solid kick right in Lana’s gut.
She choked on her own spit and staggered backwards, clutching her stomach with her free hand. Jasper managed to collect himself and rushed forward again, delivering a fierce punch to Lana’s cheek. She hit the sand hard enough for the grains to scrape her skin, and had to quickly roll out of the way when he stabbed his sword down into it.
Lana leapt to her feet and wiped the blood off her lip. She felt dizzy from that blow, but she didn’t have the time to collect herself. Jasper was already chasing her down again. She decided to meet him in another head on clash, and the two exchanged several blows over and over again.
Ducking under and parrying a flurry of sword strikes was difficult for the both of them. Neither got away without several cuts across their arms and chests. Lana waited for another chance to initiate a temporal rush, jumping back before Jasper’s sword dug into her flesh.
However, he seemed to predict it this time. He jumped back at the same time she did, forcing her to use the rush’s timeframe to close the gap. Her failed attempt left her with a headache that was only growing worse. She found herself off-balance again, and Jasper swung his arm to knock her down once more.
She was too dazed to roll out of the way this time. She’d overused her temporal rushes, and her heart was pounding so hard it was highly difficult to breathe. Her head hurt so much she was seeing double. When Jasper brought his sword down again, she had no choice but to block it from that position.
Jasper forced Lana down into the sand, stomping on her stomach as he shoved his sword. Lana coughed up bits of blood mixed with spit, trying her best to keep her arms from giving out. Her vision was beginning to fade, and she didn’t have the strength to push him off. All the while, he continued to grind his boot into her gut, squeezing the life further out of her.
- Come on, not like this! After everything that’s happened, I refuse to let this monster kill me here! There’s still so much I want to tell everyone! Still so much I want to do! No... I am not...
“I am not... done yet...!” Lana commanded herself.
She knew there was no way to get out of this unscathed. She clenched her teeth, knowing the pain would be intense. She shifted her sword so that she could start to sit up, and as a result, his blade dug into her left arm. She screamed from the cutting feedback, tears stinging her eyes. She nearly bit her own tongue. But, she managed to hold it together, and sacrificed the use of her left arm to rise up and slice through Jasper’s right.
“AAAAARGH!” Jasper roared.
Lana’s arm was still attached, though she could no longer move it. Jasper couldn’t say the same about his, though. His whole arm from the elbow down, still gripping his sword, crashed to the ground with a fountain of blood. He stumbled backward, desperately trying to stem the flow with his remaining hand. His cries were harrowing.
“You... My arm... You wench...!” he howled.
“I’m not done with you yet... It’s time for you to pay for everything you’ve done!” Lana declared.
Jasper tried to turn and run, but there was nowhere left he could run to. The oceans were off-limits thanks to Jabun, and Lana saw that thanks to Aamali, there was not a single helmaroc left in the sky. He was well and truly done. The only thing that remained was to finish the deed.
In her mind, she recalled the time she told Emilia that she preferred not to kill, but knew that sometimes there was no choice. She remembered the first time she’d killed a monster in the Forbidden Woods, and how it felt for her to have its life on her hands. She even thought back to the first time she was able to fillet a fish for herself.
All those years she’d spent looking away from death had brought her to this moment. It was a part of life she’d been forced to accept, but she still refused to compromise on her morals. She was not going to kill unless she had to. And today, she had to. This time, there was no hesitation whatsoever.
Her left arm hung at her side, limp and bleeding profusely. But she only needed one arm to do the job. She dashed toward the fleeing Jasper, who was howling and tripping over himself in a bloody mess. He tumbled down to his knees, clawing at the sand to get even a little bit further away from Lana. But, it was no use. She had cornered him at the small ledge. He was tall enough to slump over it, his back turned to her.
He was struggling to climb up in futility. “Please... Don’t do this! I’m still... I’m... I must be...!” he cried, scratching at the grass at the top of the ledge with his remaining hand.
“It’s over. Today, I’ve finally gotten what I want.” Lana said coldly.
It happened in the blink of an eye. One single swipe of her sword to the back of his neck, and it was over. Jasper’s head rolled onto the grass on the ledge, and stopped as though it were staring up at Lana’s family home. At long last, the Pirate King was dead.
Lana didn’t move for a little while. She could only stare at her handiwork. The blood continued to spill even after Jasper had stopped moving. Her sword was stained with his life, the very life she had taken from him. She didn’t know how to feel in this moment. She tried to think of something that would tell her the answer.
Jasper was dead at last. That meant whatever remaining monsters there were would likely give up the fight. That meant the people of Greatfish Isle, especially her parents, were safe. The long and hard battle was finished. She’d done what she promised to do and protected her family.
She supposed there was only one way to feel about that. Relief. She flicked her blade to remove as much of the blood as she could, but she couldn’t get it all off. She figured she’d have to clean it thoroughly later, and sheathed it. Next she had to tend to her arm. She still couldn’t feel it at all, except for the pain.
As she tried her best to bandage it with whatever cloth she had on her, she heard a parade of footsteps approaching. Her first instinct was to think it was more monsters, but luckily, it wasn’t. It was the villagers, Emilia’s crew, and the battle-worn fighters. Naturally, her parents were with them. They each stared in amazement, looking back and forth from Lana and Jasper’s dead body.
“You see, guys! I told you! Lana defeated Jasper! She’s so amazing!” Peeks cheered.
The excited korok flew over and buried his face in Lana’s chest. She held him with her right arm and smiled. Orca, Aamali, and Emilia all ran over to see her, and so did Lenzo. The fighters all had their share of wounds, but none of them were as severe as hers.
“I knew you could do it! That’s my student for you!” Orca said, patting her back.
“Lana, you’re just... Wow! You’re so awesome! You’re the best!” Aamali gushed.
“Looks like you kept your word. Good job, you.” Emilia said, grinning her usual grin.
“Absolutely extraordinary! I only wish I had brought my pictobox with me! What a splendid pictograph this would make...” Lenzo rambled.
“You guys... Thank you so much. Because of all of you, we did it! We defeated Jasper and the Forsaken Pirates once and for all! Really, thank you...” Lana said.
The tired heroine leaned forward, and Orca and Aamali caught her between themselves. The group huddled together and shared a heartfelt embrace, save for Emilia who didn’t want to be a part of something so mushy. Then, Lana’s parents ran over and joined in.
“My gull, you’ve really done it! I’m so proud of you!” Manolo said.
“Oh, but honey, you’re hurt! Are you... Are you okay?” Sofia asked.
“Not really, but I can live with it.” Lana said. “The important thing is, you guys are safe.”
“And so are you. That’s the most important thing of all.” Manolo said as he smiled at his brave daughter.
“Holy smokes, she really beat him...” Renny said, staring in awe at the results of the battle.
“I can’t believe this is really the same Lana...” Margo said.
“Really, what in the world have you been doing?”
Faced with such a question, Lana couldn’t respond right away. Her adventures flashed through her mind, as did her departure and her goals and dreams. There was no simple explanation for everything. The only thing she could do was force a wry smile and an awkward laugh.
“Ahah, well... It’s kind of a long story.”
* * *
Five days passed by, filled with rest and hard work in equal proportions. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, there was not a single casualty. Some called it a miracle, but others knew better. It was a direct result of hard work. The villagers and Emilia’s crew worked together to cart off the remains of the monsters, as well as to slay any stragglers. They were all piled up together in the eastern inlet and in the center of town, and then burned until there was nothing left. That was the most efficient way to clean up the aftermath.
As the townsfolk and pirates worked together to start reconstruction, the valiant fighters all convalesced in a makeshift tent in the town proper. Orca did indeed have broken ribs, Aamali had to get the cut on her side stitched up, Emilia was severely battered and bruised, and according to the town doctor, Lana would likely never fully regain use of her left arm.
That part was a bitter pill to swallow. Lana was able to move her fingers, but making a fist with her left hand was now beyond her capabilities. She also had difficulty raising it. She tried to play it off as a worthy sacrifice, but deep down, it wasn’t that cut and dry for her. Never being able to fully use that arm again was certain to be a major adaption.
Thankfully, the others’ injuries were much more manageable. Even Emilia was back on her feet by the second day. Orca had to admit she’d outdone him in that regard. She personally oversaw the reconstruction efforts, splitting some of the work away to repair her own ship without hindering the town’s progress. By the third day, she had half the homes back up with roofs. The farmland was a different story, though. The villagers were going to need a while to sort that one out.
During her recovery time, Lana’s parents visited her frequently, bringing some of that nostalgic home cooking with them. Even the townsfolk stopped by when they could. Many of them expressed sincere apologies for how they used to treat her, while others were still unable to believe she was the same girl. It was almost unsettling how much her actions had changed their attitude toward her and her family.
At long last, she was able to have that talk with her parents about what she’d been doing since she left. The entire town listened in one evening, almost like it were some kind of grand show. Predictably, it was difficult for a lot of them to swallow. But before long, Lana’s tales of disasters and adventures sunk in, and by the next morning, she was a bonafide hero to the entire island.
Sofia also finally explained about the zam spell. Unbeknownst to Manolo, she had brought it with them when they left their motherland in case of an emergency. She’d held onto it herself until the day Lana supposedly drowned as a child. That night, she’d cast the spell on her sleeping daughter, and it would only activate upon fatal damage. She showed Lana how to remove it; placing a hand over her heart and chanting the word “zam”. It took on the form of a small, purple crystal with black intricate writing. She could still hardly believe she’d had it nearly her entire life without ever knowing.
Finally, everyone was back on their feet again. This marked the thirty-first day of Lana’s journey, and the time came to make a decision. Would it continue, or would she stay content to live with her family on Greatfish Isle once more? The night before, she had a long discussion with her parents about it, and finally, she made her choice.
The dawn of the thirty-first day came around quietly. Most of the work on the buildings had finished, so the townsfolk were all plowing the fields, salvaging what they could and starting anew. Lana’s first stop was to visit Aamali and Peeks, who were together in the center of the village. They were bonding over how they both lived to serve a Great Spirit.
“Oh, here comes Lana!” Peeks said.
“Hey! How’s your arm?” Aamali asked.
“Totally numb. This is gonna take some getting used to...” she said. “How about you? All better now?”
“Fit as a fiddle, thanks to the doctor! I’m good to go now.” she answered.
“I am, too! I’ve gotta get back to work spreading the Great Deku Tree’s seeds!” Peeks said.
“And I’ve gotta get home. Dad’s probably worried sick about me. I’ve got some explaining to do about these stitches when I get back, haha...” Aamali said.
Lana smiled. “Thank you both so much, really. I never could have succeeded if you hadn’t come with me.”
“Hey, you’ve thanked us enough already, really.” Aamali said. “Besides, I owed you for saving my life and helping my people. I’m not quite ready to call this a debt repaired, but...”
“Nonsense. You helped save my family and my entire home. That’s more than repaid, in my eyes.” Lana assured her. “Really, thank you. I mean it.”
Aamali’s eyes got all watery, and she leaned forward to pull Lana into a hug. “I’m really gonna miss you, you know. Good luck with everything. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Peeks leaned in for the hug, too. “I’ll never forget you, Lana! You’ll always be a friend of the forest! Stay safe out there, you hear?”
Lana returned the hugs, tearing up herself. “I’ll never forget you guys, either. I’ll carry our memories with me for the rest of my life. Thank you again for everything.”
With those parting words, the two fliers took off into the sky. Peeks headed north, likely back to Windfall to resume what he had been doing when they reunited. Aamali flew northeast, back to Dragon Roost Island. Lana watched them until she couldn’t see them anymore, and then wiped her eyes. There were still more goodbyes to be said.
Next, she came across Orca and Lenzo together in the harbor. They’d managed to drag his boat out from its hiding place behind the rocks and pulled it up to the docks. He was going to give Lenzo a lift back home before he headed home himself. When they saw Lana approaching, they each broke out into a huge smile.
“Hey, look who it is! It’s the heroine herself!” Orca teased.
“Haha, yes, the heroine indeed!” Lenzo chimed in.
“Guys, come on... Don’t you start, too.” Lana said, blushing. “It’s already weird enough that the villagers all call me their hero.”
“Well, what else would we call you? You’re a total badass who saved the whole island.” Orca said.
“Indeed, your actions are worthy of being called a hero. You certainly are one to me.” Lenzo agreed.
Lana pouted to show them she didn’t want the conversation to continue. The boys laughed and changed the subject for her. “So anyway, yeah, I’m gonna take this guy home and then I’m going back to Outset. I’m sure my brother probably thinks I’ve gone and gotten myself killed by now.” Orca explained.
“Say hi to Sturgeon and Anna for me, okay? And tell Anna the tunic she gave me saved my life in the Forbidden Woods.” Lana said.
“Will do. You’ve been a wonderful student, Lana, and it was an honor to teach you and help you reach your full potential. I’ll never forget this experience.” Orca said.
Lana smiled warmly, and removed the Knight’s Crest from her belt. “Then let’s make sure of that. Take this with you. It’s yours.”
“Wha? But... I already told you, I don’t deserve it...” he said.
“You do. You helped me save my home and my family. You stuck your neck out to fight for me. You’ve more than earned it. And you were the only reason I picked it up in the first place. Please take it, Master Orca.” she said.
Orca’s eyes welled up. He bit his bottom lip like he was trying to hold the tears in. “Th-thank you... I’ll gladly accept a parting gift from the best student in the world.”
Lenzo grinned and put his arms around their shoulders. “What a heartfelt goodbye. Good stuff, good stuff!” he joked, imitating the time when Orca did that to him and Lana. They got a good laugh out of that.
“Thank you for coming with me, too, Lenzo. You were a big help. Don’t tell yourself otherwise just because you couldn’t fight, got it?” Lana said.
“I promise I won’t. I know better than that now, thanks to you. I swear I'll continue to work to make Windfall a better place. If you ever do come back, I hope you like what you find there.” Lenzo said.
“Windfall is in good hands with you, I know it.” Lana said. “Goodbye, you guys. Thank you again so much. I’ll miss you!”
With that, the boys departed on Orca’s boat. Lana stood on the pier, waving to them until they vanished on the horizon. She felt like crying, knowing she’d never see them again, but she had to hold it together. There were still other goodbyes to make. She headed on to her next destination, walking all the way across the island to the eastern inlet.
When she arrived, preparations for Emilia’s Pirates to leave were already well underway. Renazo spotted Lana coming down the slope and called out to his captain. He got kicked in the leg for his trouble as Emilia grumbled down to the sand to meet with her.
“Yeah?” she said, already sounding choked up.
Lana had to hold in a laugh. “I have something I need to return to you.” she said, slipping the gossip stone off of her wrist.
“Oh, right, you had the other one...” she said. For a moment, it looked as though she hesitated to take it back. But she snatched it from Lana’s hands nonetheless. “Good job on not losing it.”
“Well, you said you’d kill me if I did.” Lana teased. “If it weren’t for you, I would have never known that my home was under attack. Thank you for being here to stop it, and for calling me to help.”
“You... Damn it, why’d you go and say that?” Emilia said. “If I didn’t think to come here in the first place, Jasper probably wouldn’t have found out your parents lived here. This whole mess is my fault, you got it? You shouldn’t be so damn nice to me.”
“You did say I shouldn’t thank pirates when we first met.” Lana said. “But this time is okay. I’m not thanking a pirate, I’m thanking a friend.”
Emilia’s face flushed with color. “Wh... You... Ugh, I... Ugh! You’re unbelievable!”
Lana couldn’t hold in her laughter anymore, which only made Emilia angry. The pair wrestled for a bit, before finally, Emilia started laughing, too.
“Damn, what the hell even are you, anyway? Jeez... I’m gonna have a hard time forgetting you.” Emilia said.
“I know I’ll never be able to forget you. You were the first person who extended their hand to me on my journey, even if you only did it on a whim. You’re the reason I ever made it this far. Thank you so much for everything, Emilia.” Lana said.
Emilia’s laughter settled down, and she faced Lana directly now, as a friend. “Yeah, it’s been real, Lana. Best damn decision on a whim I’ve ever made. You take care, alright? Don’t expect me to come save you again.”
“I promise I won’t need it next time. Goodbye, Emilia!”
With that, the two parted ways once more. Emilia returned to her ship, and her crew set sail. As the ship pulled out of the inlet, the pirates all waved goodbye to her and cheered for her. Every last one of them, including Emilia.
Lana waved back, watching them sail away and out of her life for good. She was starting to reach her breaking point, but she still wasn’t done yet. Saying goodbye while knowing it's the last one was always difficult for her. Still, she had to keep going. Her next stop was Jabun’s cove. She had an old friend to visit.
When she arrived, it was eerily quiet. Only the sound of the waves could be heard. The great stone wall that blocked off the cave was still intact, but the ocean outside of the cove bubbled and roiled. Sensing her presence, Jabun rose up from the sea to greet her.
“Hello, Oshus. Or should I call you Jabun?” Lana said.
The Great Spirit looked down on her with sad eyes. One of its whiskers extended out from its face, touching Lana’s forehead. She began to hear the voice of the man she’d known fill her mind.
“I am sorry for never telling you the truth, Lana. I was keeping my identity a secret from the entire village, borrowing the guise of an old friend to observe how the islanders lived. In truth, I regret not taking a more active role. If I had shown my true form to the villagers, surely they would have stopped harassing you and your family.”
“It’s not your fault, Oshus. You’ve got a role to fulfil as a Great Spirit. I know you don’t always have the luxury of choice. Having met the other two, I can say you all are saddled with a responsibility I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand. But let me just say this... Thank you for being my friend. Growing up with you watching out for me means more to me than I could ever say.” Lana told him.
Jabun’s eyes sparkled as they looked down at her. “Your kindness is ever a pleasure to behold. I am so proud of the young woman you’ve become. Watching your growth was truly the highlight of my years spent in observation. As the Great Spirit of the ocean, I will continue to watch over you for as long as you sail on these waters.”
“Thank you so much, Osh- Uh, Jabun. Heh, sorry... Thank you.” Lana said.
“Call me what you wish. Great Spirit I may be, but you will always be a treasured friend.”
“Thank you, Oshus. I’ll really miss you.”
Jabun seemed to smile at her as he receded back underwater. A blue light gleamed from below the surface, and then traveled through the cove and slipped under the wall that blocked off the cave. It seemed he had returned to his proper place at last. Lana wiped her eyes as she remembered the time she and Oshus had come to pray at this spot, the day she first left.
- Your prayers will always be with me. Thank you, friend.
Finally, there was only one stop left to make. She’d promised to meet her parents at their family home before leaving. The townsfolk, in their gratitude to her, gifted her the best boat they had. They even gave her father a new fishing dinghy, his old one having sunk in the chaos of the battles.
Lana’s new boat sat alongside her fathers at their little cape. It was twice the size of his, with plenty of storage space below deck, a pulley system to control the sail, and the kind of steering gear she liked. It was the best she could ask for. She giggled to herself, remembering how much they’d fawned over her when they gave it to her. Quite a turnaround from their past behavior. She felt confident that her parents would have better lives from then on.
And there they stood, waiting for her on the beach, just as they did on her first departure day. Manolo and Sofia smiled widely when they saw their daughter approaching. Lana couldn’t hold herself back and ran straight into their arms, embracing them both tightly.
“We’ve said it all before, my gull. I’m so very proud of you.” Manolo said.
“I know that things will be different for you this time. You can do this.” Sofia said.
“Is it really okay? After everything that happened, is it right for me to keep trying?” Lana said, starting to cry.
“Of course it is, honey. It’s what your heart wants. You’ve got to follow it.” her mother said, stroking her hair.
“To be without you is painful, but knowing that you’re seeking your dreams is the greatest happiness a parent can ask for.” her father said, squeezing her in his arms.
“And so is knowing that you’ll be safe. I don’t think there’s a single thing left on the Great Sea that could stand a chance against our daughter now.” Sofia said, smiling.
“Too true. You’ve grown so much this past month. There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it, Lana. I know you will find our motherland.” Manolo said.
Lana sniffed. “You’re right... Thank you both for always supporting me. I love you so much.”
“And we love you.” Manolo said.
“Now go out there and finish your journey.” Sofia said.
Lana gave them one last hug for good measure before finally separating from them, one last time. She climbed aboard her new boat and checked to make sure everything was in order. It was fully stocked with food and water supplies, as well as protection against inclement weather and a sea chart to help her find her way.
On her person, Lana carried her estoc, her deku leaf, and her bow and arrows. She also still held the Wind Waker, and the zam spell was tucked safely in her satchel. There was nothing more she could do to prepare, and she had said all of her goodbyes. It was mid-afternoon, and the wind was at her back. It was prime time to set out.
Lana unfurled the sail, and it caught the wind splendidly. Her father had already painted a new huarere on this one, but now there was no need to worry about that, since those who sought it were now gone from the Great Sea. Now it could finally serve its purpose as a fair weather charm, and a reminder of home.
Manolo and Sofia cried their eyes out as they waved goodbye to their daughter. They knew this would be the last time they ever saw her. They knew she would succeed this time. Just as they’d said, there was nothing left that could stop her. And Lana knew it, too. The fire in her heart couldn’t be doused with farewell tears. She had a journey to finish, and nothing was going to slow her down anymore.
And yet, there was still one final loose end. Once Lana had sailed out of Greatfish’s local waters, she had an encounter. On the horizon ahead of her appeared a vividly red boat, with the crested mane of a lion adorning its bow. Lana smiled heartily when she saw it, and furled her sail so she could pull up next to it.
“Hello, King.” Lana greeted.
“Hello, Lana.” the King of Red Lions said. “You doubtless know that I watched the whole thing from your gossip stone. Do I even need to say it? You and your friends were absolutely amazing. Just as expected, of course.”
“Thank you for saying so. It’s comforting to know you continued to watch over me.” Lana said. “But now I’ve returned the gossip stone to its rightful owner, so that won’t be happening anymore...”
“Indeed. It is a shame, but that’s how it must be. Speaking of which...” he began.
“Yeah, I know. You’re here for this, right?” Lana said, removing the Wind Waker from her belt.
“Indeed. I am grateful for your understanding.” King said, taking it in his mouth and vanishing it just as he’d done before.
“You’re such a mystery, as always.” Lana said. “But you’re one of the best friends and allies I’ve made on this journey. It really means a lot that you’ve continued to stick around for me, even after our business together was finished. I can never thank you enough.”
“I share the same feelings. You have been an invaluable companion to me, Lana. And I must thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Because of you, the Great Sea is safe and ready to accept the Legendary Hero in the future. My debt to you can never be fully repaid.”
“Haha, seems like we’re both in debt to each other... What can we do about that? I’d hate to leave you on uncertain terms.” Lana said.
“... Perhaps I have an idea.” King said.
Then, his body began glowing in an eerie blue light. It took Lana by surprise and reminded her of the ethereal flames she’d seen surrounding the ghost ship. To her amazement, the visage of an elderly man appeared, hovering in the air above the wooden hull of the boat. He was very fancily-dressed, had a large white beard, and even wore a crown on his head. His robes were the same red color as the boat.
“I can say goodbye to you in my true form. I am Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, king of a land long since gone from this world, swallowed under the Great Sea.” he reintroduced himself.
Lana's mouth hung agape. She didn’t really know how to react. King was actually a real king, or at least the ghost of one? She didn’t see that coming at all, though in retrospect, she felt like she should have.
“So that’s what you really look like... Wow.” she said. “Somehow, this makes so much sense, and at the same time, I feel like my head’s going to explode...”
“Hahah, yes, I understand what you mean...” King Daphnes said. “I am sorry if I shocked you. However, I felt as though I owed you this much. I wanted you to know the truth about me before you left.”
“Thank you for doing that. I really appreciate it. Now I kind of see why you do what you do. All for the Legendary Hero...” Lana said. “You really are amazing. I’m glad to have known you, King. Thank you for everything.”
“You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth, Lana. I wish you luck and success on your journey. Looking at the person you are now, I have the utmost confidence in you. Godspeed, and safe travels, my dear friend.”
And so, the visage of King Daphnes vanished back into the hull of the King of Red Lions. The head of the lion smiled at Lana warmly, and then slowly drifted off into the distance. This was truly their final goodbye. And with that, there was not a single loose end left. Nothing remained to tie her to the Great Sea. She was finally fully ready.
This time, Lana didn’t watch him until she could no longer see him. She looked ahead to her own horizon line, and unfurled the sail once more. She stood up on the deck of her ship, gazing up at the wispy white clouds in the sky. She shut her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves. She allowed the wind to blow through her hair, relishing the soft touch of the breeze. She breathed deeply in through her nose, and when she exhaled, she opened her eyes and looked straight ahead, sailing on to reach her destiny.
Everything she’d been through on this journey had made her strong. From one disaster to the next, from one adventure to the next, from every fight and every quest, from every person she met, she gained something precious and irreplaceable. Lana was not the same girl she was when she first set out. Now she was more herself than she’d ever been before.
She was a fisherman once. She was also a voyager. She discovered that she was a Wind Waker. And she had become a hero. But, despite all that, she was still Lana Kaimi. And that was what she’d chosen to be. From that day on, Lana was herself above all else. And that was just how she’d find her motherland.
“Alright, here I come. I’ll find it, wherever it is.”
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Surprise epilogue! And on the same day as the final chapter, too! Bet you weren't expecting that. 
With this epilogue, the story is officially over and the book is closed. Only one thing remains to do... Open it back up from the beginning! I am not only posting an epilogue here, but also a credit roll and an afterword, as well as a link to the Google Drive folder where all of the chapters can be found. The Drive folder also contains statistics such as word counts for every individual chapter, and it is also the most up to date in terms of edits and revisions. If you want to reread the story, I recommend doing so from there. All of the files are even available offline.
Ride the Winds! FULL NOVEL Google Drive Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fw4ypOVJRCD_RLer8aNsF37168pZiPbP?usp=sharing
Without further adieu, enjoy these last offerings of Ride the Winds!
“... And that’s the end.” Lana said.
“Wow! That story was so cool! Is all of that really true?” the child asked, his eyes sparkling.
“Of course it is! Would I lie to you?” Lana said, ruffling his dark hair.
“Man... Talking boats, giant spirits, pirates, monsters, and magic... I don’t even know where to begin!” he said, still gushing.
“I guess you enjoyed that, huh?” Lana laughed.
“I sure did! The Great Sea sounds amazing! I can’t believe you wanted to leave it...” he said. “Oh, that reminds me, did you ever find your motherland? The story ended before you did!”
Lana blinked a couple times, staring at the boy in surprise. “Hmmm... What do you think?” she said.
“Aw, come, just tell me!” he insisted.
“Mmmmmm... Not telling!” Lana teased.
“No fair! No fair! Boo!”
The orphaned boy, whom Lana adopted when he was still a toddler, jumped up from her lap and ran around the small cabin, chanting about how unfair she was being. Lana giggled watching him, and her eyes gazed around the cozy room. She felt terribly nostalgic after telling the story from twenty years prior already, but the keepsakes adorning her walls only intensified the feeling.
Her estoc rested in its scabbard above the crackling fireplace. Her deku leaf hung from the eastern wall, and her bow and quiver hung from the western side. Even though she no longer had the Knight’s Crest, the Wind Waker, or the gossip stone, those memories remained in her heart.
She then gazed down at her necklace, from which hung the crystalized zam spell that could grant magic armor. She ran a finger over it, thinking of her mother and father once more. She smiled warmly, still content in her decision to leave. The boy running around her room only made her feel happier about it.
“Man... I’d love to see the Great Sea someday!” the boy said.
Lana was surprised to hear that. “Are you interested in traveling?” she asked.
“Well, I am now, after hearing that story! Besides, it’s where you grew up!” he said.
“I suppose it is...” she said.
“Do you ever miss home?” he asked.
“Of course I do. But I’m still happy I left.”
“Huh... That’s weird! I wonder if I’ll feel like that too...” he said. “Do you think I could make it to the Great Sea?”
Lana smiled some more, thinking this must have been how her parents felt for her.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind, Zunari.”
Credit Roll
Lana Kaimi
Original Character
Manolo Kaimi
Original Character
Sofia Kaimi
Original Character
Renny
Original Character
Margo
Original Character
Oshus/The Great Jabun
The Oshus persona is based on Oshus from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Jabun is intended to be the same character from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Emilia
Original Character;
Intended to be the grandmother of Tetra from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Renazo
Original Character
Ivan
Original Character
Lenzo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Anna
Intended to be Link’s Grandmother as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Sturgeon
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Orca
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Peeks
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Maca
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Hollo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Chio
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Great Deku Tree
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The King of Red Lions
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Jasper
Original Character
The Fairy Queen
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Aamali
Named after a Rito from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild;
Intended to be the grandmother of Komali in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Kaneli
Named after a Rito from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Zephos
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Cyclos
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Great Valoo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Zunari
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Ride the Winds! This is the second story I’ve been able to fully write out to completion, and I’m very ecstatic about that. Just like the first one, this is also a Legend of Zelda fanfiction, this one based on The Wind Waker. I’ve had the idea for this since I was in high school, but it never really went anywhere until the beginning of 2020. The right ideas finally came together and allowed this story to emerge. The character of Lana Kaimi is an original character of mine that was first conceived for this story while I was still in college, but the story itself wasn’t really together yet back then. Lana made her way into other projects and daydreams of mine before finally coming full circle back into Ride the Winds!.
This story was a lot of fun to write. There’s something special about writing fanfiction, taking characters and settings from the media you love and putting your own spin on them. It is, in my opinion, one of the truest expressions of passion for creative works. After all, it’s not like I can get paid for writing all of this! I did all this for fun! Giving form to the ideas in my head is always a good feeling, and I’m very proud of being able to do that and share it with others. I hope my dear readers were able to enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it! Perhaps I may write something more original next time.
Regardless, thank you very much once again for reading Ride the Winds! Your support means a lot to me! Let us meet again in another story sometime!
With this epilogue, the story is officially over and the book is closed. Only one thing remains to do... Open it back up from the beginning! I am not only posting an epilogue here, but also a credit roll and an afterword, as well as a link to the Google Drive folder where all of the chapters can be found. The Drive folder also contains statistics such as word counts for every individual chapter, and it is also the most up to date in terms of edits and revisions. If you want to reread the story, I recommend doing so from there. All of the files are even available offline.Ride the Winds! FULL NOVEL Google Drive Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fw4ypOVJRCD_RLer8aNsF37168pZiPbP?usp=sharing
Without further adieu, enjoy these last offerings of Ride the Winds!
Epilogue
A Shanty About Riding the Winds
A Shanty About Riding the Winds
“... And that’s the end.” Lana said.
“Wow! That story was so cool! Is all of that really true?” the child asked, his eyes sparkling.
“Of course it is! Would I lie to you?” Lana said, ruffling his dark hair.
“Man... Talking boats, giant spirits, pirates, monsters, and magic... I don’t even know where to begin!” he said, still gushing.
“I guess you enjoyed that, huh?” Lana laughed.
“I sure did! The Great Sea sounds amazing! I can’t believe you wanted to leave it...” he said. “Oh, that reminds me, did you ever find your motherland? The story ended before you did!”
Lana blinked a couple times, staring at the boy in surprise. “Hmmm... What do you think?” she said.
“Aw, come, just tell me!” he insisted.
“Mmmmmm... Not telling!” Lana teased.
“No fair! No fair! Boo!”
The orphaned boy, whom Lana adopted when he was still a toddler, jumped up from her lap and ran around the small cabin, chanting about how unfair she was being. Lana giggled watching him, and her eyes gazed around the cozy room. She felt terribly nostalgic after telling the story from twenty years prior already, but the keepsakes adorning her walls only intensified the feeling.
Her estoc rested in its scabbard above the crackling fireplace. Her deku leaf hung from the eastern wall, and her bow and quiver hung from the western side. Even though she no longer had the Knight’s Crest, the Wind Waker, or the gossip stone, those memories remained in her heart.
She then gazed down at her necklace, from which hung the crystalized zam spell that could grant magic armor. She ran a finger over it, thinking of her mother and father once more. She smiled warmly, still content in her decision to leave. The boy running around her room only made her feel happier about it.
“Man... I’d love to see the Great Sea someday!” the boy said.
Lana was surprised to hear that. “Are you interested in traveling?” she asked.
“Well, I am now, after hearing that story! Besides, it’s where you grew up!” he said.
“I suppose it is...” she said.
“Do you ever miss home?” he asked.
“Of course I do. But I’m still happy I left.”
“Huh... That’s weird! I wonder if I’ll feel like that too...” he said. “Do you think I could make it to the Great Sea?”
Lana smiled some more, thinking this must have been how her parents felt for her.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind, Zunari.”
THE END
Credit Roll
Lana Kaimi
Original Character
Manolo Kaimi
Original Character
Sofia Kaimi
Original Character
Renny
Original Character
Margo
Original Character
Oshus/The Great Jabun
The Oshus persona is based on Oshus from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Jabun is intended to be the same character from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Emilia
Original Character;
Intended to be the grandmother of Tetra from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Renazo
Original Character
Ivan
Original Character
Lenzo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Anna
Intended to be Link’s Grandmother as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Sturgeon
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Orca
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Peeks
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Maca
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Hollo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Chio
Named after a Korok from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Great Deku Tree
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The King of Red Lions
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Jasper
Original Character
The Fairy Queen
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Aamali
Named after a Rito from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild;
Intended to be the grandmother of Komali in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Kaneli
Named after a Rito from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Zephos
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Cyclos
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Great Valoo
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Zunari
Intended to be the same character as seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Ride the Winds! This is the second story I’ve been able to fully write out to completion, and I’m very ecstatic about that. Just like the first one, this is also a Legend of Zelda fanfiction, this one based on The Wind Waker. I’ve had the idea for this since I was in high school, but it never really went anywhere until the beginning of 2020. The right ideas finally came together and allowed this story to emerge. The character of Lana Kaimi is an original character of mine that was first conceived for this story while I was still in college, but the story itself wasn’t really together yet back then. Lana made her way into other projects and daydreams of mine before finally coming full circle back into Ride the Winds!.
This story was a lot of fun to write. There’s something special about writing fanfiction, taking characters and settings from the media you love and putting your own spin on them. It is, in my opinion, one of the truest expressions of passion for creative works. After all, it’s not like I can get paid for writing all of this! I did all this for fun! Giving form to the ideas in my head is always a good feeling, and I’m very proud of being able to do that and share it with others. I hope my dear readers were able to enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it! Perhaps I may write something more original next time.
Regardless, thank you very much once again for reading Ride the Winds! Your support means a lot to me! Let us meet again in another story sometime!
Last edited:
Aaaaaa I finished! It's so good!